Star Ocean: Cyrus' Side DA REMIX
by Panzerraptor
Summary: An up-to-date remake of SOCS my first story. After being transported into the universe of SO3, Cyrus must find a way to fit in and stay alive. Will his smarts and style be enough to survive the dangers that await him? Ch. 5-6 up!
1. Chapter 1

**Star Ocean: Till the End of Time**

**Cyrus' Side**

**Da Remake**

* * *

Author's Note 1: Hey, everyone! Long time no read, huh? It is I, the master of story writing. The gangsta of the keyboard. The writer that the ladies call Killer Kazamaki: The Perfect Murder and Winged-death himself: Panzerraptor. Give some love to your boy! Okay enough of that. Anyway, for those who knew me (or still do), you would also know that this story is the very first I have ever written over two years ago. Seeing that my writing style has changed since then, I decided to come back to my roots. Just like the original SOTTEOT went through a few changes and whatever to become the Director's Cut, I decided it's time to tweek this story a little too. Expect a more refined and smoother storyline, bonus content, and much more.

Author's Note 1: I do not own the Star Ocean: Till the End of Time. For the people that still don't know what happens in the game or pretty much forgot, sorry for the spoilers.

Author's Note 2: The Italics are thoughts of the character's. Of course, there will be some moments where capitalization will put some emphasis on words or sentences (i.e., shouting).

Author's Note 3: Parenthesis is for more details.

Author's Note 4: I apologize if anyone gets offended. This story is meant to be comical (Yes, I know there might not be much to get offended by right now, but I have had a review or two saying some parts were 'feeding on a stereotype or another').

Disclaimer: Star Ocean: Till the End of Time is property of Tri-Ace & Square-Enix. Some of the characters (except Cyrus and a few other OCs) are trademarks of the games and the companies that produced them.

* * *

**Part 1.1: A Wild Ride**

Cyrus' Wednesday started out like any other: bored, tired and groggy. Then again, the fifteen year old woke up at 6:00 in the morning. He got his clothes on (everything he wore was black. The only exception was his backpack which had red pockets), ate his cereal, said farewell to his parents and left the house. After arriving at the bus stop that was located two blocks from his home, he awaited patiently for Regional Transit 56 to pick him up.

Ten minutes passed, his ride was still a no show. _"Great, Ryder's late again,"_ he thought as he tapped the toe of his shoe on the sidewalk impatiently. _"Man, this is whack. I come here every mornin' to get to school just so the driver can make me late. Whatever, it's not like I can ask my old man to give me a ride."_ Cyrus' father (Cyrus M. Splicer Sr.) was a world renowned paleontologist. His work had him coming and going for months at a time. Last he heard, his pops was working at some dig site in Singapore.

Suddenly, a horn blew from the left. Cyrus got up to look. It was finally the bus. He was pretty surprised. Normally, he'd have to wait nearly half an hour for the public transportation to arrive. With a casual smirk the black teen entered after the bus' door opened. "Well, this is new. Normally you'd be here later than this. What up, Ryder?" Cyrus asked.

Sitting in the drivers seat was a black man in a green vest and blue ripped jeans. He wore a short fro and had a patch of peach fuzz on his chin. "The boss was complainin' 'bout 'We have gotten too many complaints from our passengers, saying you've been passin' them by,'" he said in a rough accent. "Honestly, it ain't my fault that they're late. I'm only doin' my job. If them fools ain't gettin' to the stop on time, it ain't my problem," Ryder explained.

"Damn. Guess he's seriously hatin' on ya." Cyrus said.

"You're tellin' me. He even wants me to work the night shift. How the hell am I supposed to get wit' the ladies like this!?"

"I thought you already had a woman?"

"Yeah, about that… Me and Sashante had a little fallin' out. Found that bitch was cheatin' on a brother with some other dude."

"So what happened?"

"What you think? I beat that bitch-ass so bad, he became as pale as that robot guy on Star Trek."

"Sweet," Cyrus said. "Anyway, I'm sure you'll figure somethin' out, man."

"Damn straight! If I want to get ready for tonight, I need to hurry the hell up! So take your seat and quick!" Ryder replied. Cyrus ran to the closest empty seat as quick as he could. He felt the bus starting to lift up. "This is your bus driver Ryder speaking," he said on the speakers. "We'll be getting to the nearest destination in about a few minutes at speeds of about fifty miles per hour. If you feel some discomfort on the way, then that's too bad 'cause I'm a really busy man who don't give a shit. And don't anyone dare hurl on the seats. Just got them things dry cleaned. So hold on to the rail in front of the seats. Just consider it as a safety precaution and thank yourselves for the fact that you have health insurance."

"_What!?"_ Cyrus thought with his face fear stricken. _"He's crazy if he's gonna make a 15 foot vehicle go at so fast. Speed limit signs weren't put on the streets to make 'em look pretty. What's worse, I got no insurance! If I survive this with all four limbs attached, it would be a miracle."_ The bus quickly took off, going from 0-50 in a few seconds. Cyrus felt himself being crushed by the gravity. He held on to the rail with his left hand and his hat with his right. It was crazy. The vehicle was popping wheelies, and its backside fishtailing on the roads with every turn. Nearby cars honked their horns and swerved out of the way. Red lights were being passed as if they were on green. Too Cyrus, he felt like he was on a giant yellow jacket than a city bus. Finally, after a few terrifying minutes, the bus stopped at its destination. Like a thrill seeker at the amusement park who had just got off of a roller coaster, Cyrus got off his seat, staggering to the exit and falling on the cool concrete of the sidewalk as he left from the exit.

"Have a good day in school, kid!" Ryder hollered before he closed the door. As soon as the bus left, the teenager picked himself up from the ground. He looked in the direction the bus left in, still hearing the wayward screams of the passengers still on the bus ride.

"_Man, thank god I had my lucky hat on!"_ he thought as he batted the dirt off his Rockawear Core Crown hat before putting it back on his head. After sweeping of the dirt from his clothes, he placed it back on his head and left for school.

**Part 1.2: Gettin' Edumacated**

Cyrus walked a block further from the bus stop to his high school. It was a large facility with the main building having a good sized clock attached to the front. Hanging around at the front of the school, Cyrus saw two of his companions talking on the front. "Hey, if it isn't the OGC!" one of them called out.

"Jack, how's it hangin', playa?" he said as he walked up to him.

Jack was Cyrus' best friend. They knew each other since the fifth grade. He was a white male, wearing a red Fubu sweater, green baggy pants, and a black Joker beanie. He wore white Adidas on his feet. For many years, Jack has always had the so-called 'gangsta disposition'. In fact, he believes he is part black instead of just saying he is like Eminem (that's what he thinks, anyway). However, it should be noted that before coming to Northgate and meeting Cyrus all those years ago, Jack did not live in Detroit, Oakland, Miami, nor any of those infamous neighborhoods. His family originally came from Burbank's rich neighborhood further north. And unlike his comrades, Jack's talks more than he thinks (Of course, looking at his test scores, you wouldn't think they came from an individual like him). "It's cool," the young white male said. "I be chillin' an' all. Still gettin' my bidness done, know what I mean?"

"I feel ya, G."

"So did you finally finish that Star Ocean game?" another of his friends asked. He was a smaller Asian wearing black eyeglasses, and a blue blazer. Adorned on his head was a yellow bandanna and baggy red jeans. His shoes were also white, but with golden lining on the sides. He was Lude Kodinjo, a friend Cyrus and Jack knew since the seventh grade who was a transfer student from Hong Kong. As time passed, he became a loyal comrade of the two and has slowly learned to embrace the rather unorthodox cultures of America. Compared to Cyrus and Jack, Lude is the more logical member of the trio (though, that doesn't mean he won't defend himself when the need arises).

"Not yet, Lude, but I'm getting there."

"You still haven't complete it?" Jack asked in a bored tone. "It's been a whole week!"

"Yeah, I know. You guys should get that game. It may take a while to complete, but it's worth it. The storyline's great and the character design is tight!"

"Sounds cool," Lude said in a simple voice.

"Yo dudes!" Jack said. As Lude and Cyrus turned their attention to Jack, the white teen began beatboxing the background theme of Dead Prez' "Hip-Hop." Cyrus bobbed his head to the beat while Lude began to shuffle from side to side.

"Now let's change the subject," Lude said after they danced a few minutes.

"Yeah, you gonna ask that chick out?" Jack asked.

"What chick?" Cyrus said.

"You know who we're talking about. The one you wanted to go out wit fo' about two months."

"Yeah," Lude added. "The girl you won't stop talking about."

"Well, now's yo' chance," Jack said as he pointed to Cyrus' left. Off in the distance, Cyrus saw a goth girl with silky white skin, shoulder length black hair and brown eyes. She had baggy army pants that matched her baggy vest. She wore black boots and on her neck was a silver bracelet.

"Is it just me, or is Chamera looking hotter each day," Jack said before purring. "I'd tap that bootay any time, know what I mean?"

Cyrus and Lude shot their friend with a death glare before simultaneously saying "Shut up, Cracker Jack."

"Yo, my bad," Jack muttered as he turned his head up, still smirking in the process.

"Well, I guess it's another day as bachelor and bachelorette for the both of you," Lude said.

"What do you mean, home boy?" Cyrus asked.

"Both you and her are still available. You're both also well known amongst this establishment. If you don't hurry Cyrus, someone else is bound to steal the young lady's heart."

"Now that you brought it up, Lude," Jack said, "why do you hang with us anyway? You'd be better with them jocks or those smart dudes."

"Them guys aren't worth my time. I'm a shizznit, remember? Besides, we're the three home G's. There's no one else around here like us. In more ways than others, we're just kick ass!"

"Got that right," Lude said.

"Damn straight, bro," Jack said.

"Yeah, or ass kicked," a voice behind him said. Lude and Jack looked in front of them while Cyrus had to turn around. They saw a tall student, maybe Junior in level. He wore a short hair style and an LA Laker's basketball jersey that had Shaquille O'neal's number and name when he was still on the team. His pants were blue shorts that went past the knees (with his underwear peaking above the waistline).

"Not you, Tom," Cyrus said. "Or should I say, Tommy Sinclair Andrews, the big jock bitch of the school."

Tom snarled at the black teen. "I told you not to say my name out loud, you punk!" the older juvenile hissed.

"What do you want anyway, jock?" Lude asked in a monotonous tone.

"Oh, nothin' much. I just overheard you talk about how you guys are da shizznit,'" he repeated in a mocking tone. "But what really brought my attention is how you say you can entice the likes of Chamera over there."

"Cyrus has more skill in his pinky than you have in your entire body," Jack said, raising his own pinky.

"You wish. If you forgot, you got nothing on me. Especially true status."

Not long after saying that, two girls walked by and coyly called out, "Hi, Cyrus."

"Ladies," Cyrus said nonchalantly as he waved his hand at the young women, flashing a smirk. Both girls giggled as they continued on their way.

"You were saying, Tom?" Cyrus said with a confident smile.

"So you're well known around here," Tom said. "So the hell what. You're still nothing. The only definition of shizznit I see in you and your friends are shit. Not 'da shit,' just shit."

"You best take that back, bitch!" Jack demanded, ready to fight him and his friends.

"Indeed! You have no right speaking to us like that!" Lude said.

Cyrus smiled smugly. "You really don't get it do you? Just because you're a stuck-up jock and have the attention of the cheerleaders and a few other girls around here doesn't mean shit. What you don't know is, when we walk by, the cheerleaders are lookin' at us."

"In fact, when you're not around, the chicks just love showin' us they pom-poms whenever we have our quality time, homes. Especially yo' girl Jenny," Jack replied. "I forgot. Was she a double B or a double C?" This got Tom upset, no doubt. Jenny was Tom's current girlfriend and one of the most popular girls in school.

"The point is it don't matter if we aren't in some category. We're in a league of our own."

"Exactly," Jack said. "We keep it real! Those fools you call your G's that you think are champs are nothin' but chumps. You guys have nothing on us."

"So why don't you keep out of our conversations, too," Lude said. "If all you want to do is come here and scrutinize, then you're the pathetic one. Not us."

Tom was yawning now, with his hand in front of his face. "You done?" Tom asked in a royal tone.

"Not yet," Cyrus said. "I have one more thing to say. You think you hard. The giant that overshadows us all. You should know you ain't. You're really just some little trick-ass scally-whop that's doin' nothin' but frontin'. A little kid that's tryin' to be da big man." Both of Cyrus friends were now laughing at what he just said.

"What did you say?" Tom asked in a pissed off tone.

"You heard," Cyrus replied flatly. "Or is it hard to hear from way up there?"

Tom was really mad now. "Look, I came to ask you to join our posse and leave these losers in their momma's attic! To make you realize your true colors."

"If joining you jokers will reveal my 'true colors,' then shit, I might as well stay in the gray. Sorry to disappoint ya."

"You know it, son!" Jack said. "Cyrus never ditches his crew."

"It's called loyalty, Tom," Lude said. "You and your fair-weather 'comrades' should look it up when you have the chance. I believe it's after loser which is decorated with your portrait as an example."

"Whoa!" Jack replied as chuckled at Lude's insult. "Score one with the diss, my man!" Lude pounded his fist to Jack's and Cyrus' (who was also amused by how he slammed Tom).

Tom gave a stint look. "Looks like I'll have to show you and everybody in the school what a mistake you made. I'm the big dog in this yard!" he yelled.

"You can keep saying that all you want!" Jack yelled. "But it still don't make it true."

"Oh it's true alright. And I'll prove exactly how true it is," Tom said in a threatening tone. He then turned to Cyrus and said, "That mouth of yours just got you into a world of hurt. Today, after school, you're goin' down."

"Oooh! I'm shakin' in my boots, Sinclair," Cyrus said with mock fear. Behind him, Jack and Lude started to chuckle.

"Go ahead and laugh it up. You'll get yours." With that said, Tom turned back and walked away.

"Wow, he really needs some priorities," Lude said.

"Oh man!" Cyrus yelped as he remembered something. "I nearly forgot that Twenty-Fiddy wants to see me at lunch!"

"Twenty-Fiddy?" Lude said. "You mean that Junior who makes a living as a hustler?"

"What are you doin' dealin' wit' him?" Jack asked.

"It's for Chamera," Cyrus said.

"Like what do you have for Twenty-Fiddy?" Lude asked. "It's hard enough trying to get in touch. It's even harder trying to make a deal with his ass."

"Just look inside." Cyrus opened his backpack and they looked inside. When they saw the contents, all three smiled.

"Alright, Cyrus," Lude said. "You got us." When Cyrus zipped his bag back up, the school bell was heard. "Well, time for more fun education," he said sarcastically.

"Tell me about it," Jack said.

"Can't they tell we don't need this crap?" Cyrus said. "Look at us. We're literally friggin' geniuses. I have a 176 IQ, you got a 154 IQ, and Lude here gots a 173 IQ."

"That's the California State Standards for you," Jack said. "It's all a rouse so that the government can keep the minorities in check. I swear this is a friggin' conspiracy. Right next to what they did to Tupac and Biggie Smalls. Hell, they could've had something for Johny Cockran if they had the chance."

"Yeah… don't we know it," Lude said as he scratched his head. It was hard to believe that stuff like this comes out of Jack's mouth at a regular basis.

Cyrus, too, gave the white teen a cock-eyed glance before returning to his senses. "Well, later," the black teen said.

"Sayonara," Lude replied.

"Hope yo' thing wit' Chamera works out, man," Jack said.

"So do I," Cyrus responded. The group parted ways and went to their separate classrooms. Cyrus took English 3, Computer Technology and Chemistry. He had a test in English, but passed it easily. After an hour of each class, it was time for lunch where he rejoined his comrades at their usual bench. "Yo guys," he called. "Are you ready to meet up wit' Twenty-Fiddy?"

"Sure," Lude said. "Better than listening to Jack talk about bean burritos and underground organizations."

"Hey!" Jack said. "They're connected in some way or another."

Cyrus shrugged. They left their bench and went inside the main building. Twenty-Fiddy was known for his dealings and abilities. His skill was what made him a suspect in a case where the computer class' camcorders were sold to some of the senior students. It was said that Twenty-Fiddy was supposed to be punished by expulsion. However, there wasn't enough evidence of such a deal ever going down. However, he was still thrown into on-sight detention for a week. After that close shave, Twenty-Fiddy became scarce and was rarely seen in public. Only a few knew where he held his operations, which was the janitor's closet (the school janitor was actually his cousin).

In the hall, the trio looked around, making sure the coast was clear (at this time, the halls were closed unless it was for office visits). There was no one in sight and the three hurried down the flight of stairs that led to the janitor closet. The room was dark and a lamp shined above a pool table. Another shined over an empty chair right in front of them.

"Ah, Cyrus Splicer," the voice said from the darkness on the other side of the room. "An honor and pleasure to do business with you."

"Yeah, okay," Cyrus said. "How about you show yourself. I like to get a good look at the people I make deals with."

"Spoken like a true merchant." With a click, a light shone on the other side of the table and revealed the individual whose hand pulled the lamp's string. Sitting in the chair was a sophomore who wore a cab driver's hat (similar to the one Dave Chappelle wore). He also wore a green t-shirt and black jeans. A long gold chain wrapped around his neck and rings decorated the fingers on his hands. This was the form that people in the school rarely seen of the deal broker known as Twenty-Fiddy.

"So you're the infamous Twenty-Fiddy," Lude said. "I'm betting that bling is the reward of your lucrative business."

"Correct on all levels, Lude."

"How do you know his name?" Jack asked suspiciously.

"Well Jack, I know everything about everyone. I may be cooped up in the janitor's closet, but that don't mean I'm oblivious to the goings on outside. Knowing this, that was how Cyrus found me."

"So do you have it, T.W.?" Cyrus asked.

"Indeed I do," Twenty-Fiddy replied. He leaned to the side of his chair and pulled out Green Day's latest album. "Here you go." Twenty-Fiddy slid the case over to Cyrus who stopped it from spinning by putting the tip of his index finger in the center. "Now for your end of the bargain." Cyrus pulled out a large bowl from his backpack. It was a bucket of KFC.

"As promised," Cyrus said as he slammed it on the pool table. "A large bowl with three breasts, four wings and two drumsticks. I also included some extra packets of BBQ sauce." Twenty-Fiddy gazed upon the bucket as it was slid over to his side of the table. His mouth gapped wide as drool dripped from his bottom jaw.

"Thank you, Mr. Splicer," Twenty-Fiddy said in a thankful voice and a tear in his right eye. "We should do more transactions in the future."

"I'll think about it," Cyrus said.

"Now go out there and make me proud!" Cyrus, Jack and Lude gave each other strange glances as walked back upstairs. The sounds of the resident dealer gorging upon the poultry echoed on their way up the stairs.

After leaving the room, the trio went to the large space outside where many of the groups hung out. In one corner, you had your preps. Then the basketball court where Tom and his crew ruled. At the moment, the group that Cyrus and his team were focused on was filled with people with punk-style clothes hanging out at the corner. One in particular who caught his attention was Chamera. The three walked to the area and it didn't take long for the young woman to notice the black teen and his entourage were coming her way. She grinned at Cyrus, who in turn grinned back. "Hey, Cyrus," she said in a soothing voice.

"Yo, Chamera. How you doin'?"

"I'm fine. How did you do on that test in Chemistry?"

"Great, of course. How about yourself?"

"Same here. Though Billy Jenkall might be absent for two days."

"Yeah. I guess now he knows Magnesium Oxide and Carbon compounds just don't mix." They chuckled at the event that transpired. Poor Billy made a mini explosion right in front of his face which burned off his eyebrows in the process. The teacher took the teen to the office and he was to stay home for two days. "Oh, and by the way, I have this for you..." Cyrus pulled out the Green Day album.

"Thank you, Cyrus!" she said. "I've been looking all over for this. How did you get it? I thought you were into that rap stuff."

"That is true. But a guy can't start his day of mayhem without a little juice from the staccatos of drums and guitars, right? And for the album, I managed to pull a few strings here and there. It's as good as yours."

"Cyrus... I-I don't know what to say..." she said, trying to hide her blushed face from the teen's view.

"Well... How 'bout we go somewhere later." Cyrus suggested. "You know, grab a bite to eat or somethin'?"

"Are you asking me out?"

"Perhaps…" Cyrus said innocently as he rubbed the back of his neck. "What do you say?"

"Of course," Chamera responded with reddened cheeks

. She then changed her expression as she changed the subject. "Cyrus, is it true you're really going up against Tom today?"

"It is. He challenged me this morning."

"You guys better be careful. He'll do anything to win. Remember what happened a couple weeks ago."

Cyrus and his friends couldn't help but remember. What happened was Tom enlisted the help of some kid to get the him an A on a test in one of his classes. But the poor guy had a job interview to get to. Of course, Tom wouldn't hear of it and threatened to beat him senseless if he didn't cooperate. So fearing a painful punishment, the kid helped Tom. After a few days, Tom's received grade for that test was a C. For many people, a C would be an acceptable grade. But Tom was not exactly thrilled. So he and his friends decided to take a little payback on his homework buddy. It doesn't take a genius (or someone with sense) to know that kid didn't have a chance against Tom, let alone an extra four hundred pounds of athletic moron.

"I feel sorry for that kid," Lude said. "It wasn't his fault that barbarian didn't obtain his desired grade."

"The only difference between Tom's last punching bag and Cyrus is that my man here can fight back!" Jack replied confidently. "Ain't that right?"

"You know it man," Cyrus said.

"Look, Cyrus," Chamera began. "Just promise me you'll be alright."

"Don't worry, Chamera," Cyrus assured. "I was taught in self-defense. I'll be cool."

"That's right," Jack said. "Even if he brings in fifty five of his cronies, they still won't catch OGC."

"We'll be watching Cyrus' back if Tom tries any underhanded tactics," Lude assured.

"That's good to hear," Chamera said. "Nonetheless, be careful." The bell rang to signal the end of lunch. "Well, Cyrus. I guess I'll see you later," Chamera said as she held her books.

"Yeah," Cyrus responded. "Peace."

The four parted to their classes. Cyrus had to take P.E., Trigonometry and Shop. In three hours, at two o'clock in the afternoon, school was over. Cyrus made his way to the front. Everyone was silent when he came forward. The black teen wondered why everyone was so quiet. At least he did before a large body, bumped into him and continued to pass. The form stopped in front of Cyrus as a mach pit was starting to form around. It was none other than Tom, and he was ready to kick ass (namely Cyrus'). "Well, well, look who it is," he said. "I would've thought you'd be running scared, seeing you have no chance!"

"Naw, that ain't my style," he said with his head bent down and hands in each pocket. "Besides, you really think I'd run from a big bitch like you? Please," he scoffed.

"You should've jet, Splicer. You could've gone without broken bones."

"Maybe, but where would the fun be in that, Sinclair? Plus if I did, I would never be able to look myself in the mirror again."

"How come you're so confident? Is it because of that training with that crackpot, Diogo?"

"What was that?" Cyrus asked with a cock-eyed stare.

"That so called 'martial arts instructor' couldn't even train a flea to jump! He might have had some skill back in the day. But face it, he's nothin' but a washed-up has-been."

"One: that analogy was as lame as you. And two: it depends what one sees. What you think is just plain jumping and running and punching, it's more than that. It takes discipline, focus and persistence. Something that a kid like you ain't got and never will."

"Yeah, okay Jackie Chan," quipped Tom. "If you think so, then come over here and show us what you got!"

"Us? Are you part of the Borg Collective or something?"

"Oh I forgot. Come on out, dudes." Suddenly, three more opponents came to the scene. Compared to Cyrus, including Tom himself, they were both twice his size. However, the black teen still wouldn't back down and went into a defensive position. "You know what they say: Ain't no fun if the homies can't get none."

"Oh, goody," Cyrus said in a sarcastic tone. "More big bustas. Who are these? Your cousins?"

"Their my brothers."

"I thought so. Heard rumors that your mom was pretty loose. Come to think of it, weren't you guys on Springer last week? Which one of you is McCain's love child?"

"You little bastard!" Tom asked. "You should've ran. Now imma punch your teeth in!"

"I never turn down a challenge. Nor do I turn keel from some self-righteous punk-ass jock."

"If that's the case, then you're full of shit," Tom said in a low voice.

"Hold the phone, guys!" a voice said.

"If this is a party, don't forget to invite us!" another said. Cyrus turned around with a smile on his face. Coming through the crowd and into the pit were his partners, Lude and Jack.

"Hey, what took you two so long?" Cyrus said in a nonchalant tone.

"Eh... We need not look no more," Jack said.

"Not the line from 'Cats' again?" Lude said.

"It was on 'Whose Line is it Anyway!' Why you gotta be all up in a brotha's grill!" Lude couldn't help but respond with a sigh and spinning eyes.

"So, you two gonna help?" Cyrus asked. "Or are you gonna bitch all day about Broadway?"

"Hey, kicking ass is what Big Jack does best!" Jack said.

"This is more invigorating," Lude said. "And you know the old saying: the bigger they are, the harder they fall."

"Quick, Jack. Get yo' speakers out! Time to pump up the hard beats!" Cyrus said to Jack. Jack pulled out small speakers while Cyrus pulled out his MP3 Player. He set his music player to "Bring the Noise" by Public Enemy. Somewhere in the crowd, Chamera watched with a concerned look on her face. In another part, Twenty-Fiddy was also part of the crowd, taking bets from the spectators.

The battle started as Tom and his cronies charged at the shizznit trio. In a few seconds, Cyrus, Jack and Lude jumped up and kicked them down to the ground. Lude high jump kicked the enemy on the far left, Jack high jump kicked the far right and Cyrus mule kicked the two in the middle, including Tom. The four were down, but not out. They got up and attacked.

Jack's opponent tried for a clothesline, but Jack ducked and tripped the enemy as he passed. The foe staggered before he turned around, only to see Jack using a few chops at him. The next attack was a quick, hard punch to the gut. Now the fighter fell hard on his behind. Everyone around the pit laughed. Jack charged at the fighter and drop kicked him straight in the face just as the foe sat up. The enemy fighter was knocked out, with shoeprints painted on his face. Jack brushed himself off.

Lude's opponent tried to kick him in the face, but Lude merely grabbed the ankle and twisted it. The foe crashed to the ground, holding his ankle while on the ground. Lude mocked him by signaling him to attack. The opponent, now enraged, ran to the Asian juvenile and threw a rally of punches and a series of kicks. Lude blocked and dodged when the need arose. Right before the flunky punched, Lude hopped on his chest and inserted his middle and index fingers between the enemy's shoulder and neck. In a few seconds, the foe fell to his knees and collapsed to the ground. Lude jumped off before his adversary fell down completely and then bowed to his unconscious enemy.

Cyrus was against Tom and his remaining brother. Tom's relative tried to punch Cyrus, but the black teen ducked and struck the foe with a punch to the chest. The enemy staggered back, holding the area of impact. From behind, Tom charged at Cyrus, hoping to grab him. However, the shizznit spun the left and pushed him forward, causing Tom to inadvertently tackle his sibling. Pushing himself off his sibling, Tom attacked once more, throwing punches at the black teen. Cyrus evaded the attacks before throwing a kick that hit Tom's side. He then wrapped his hands around the back of Tom's head and pulled down until his knee made impact with the foe's face. Tom stepped back, holding a broken nose. Not too long after Cyrus' attack, Tom's brother (the one who was tackled) attacked Cyrus again with a wayward kick. Quickly, Cyrus grabbed the leg and tossed it away and went in for a grapple. With his enemy in his clutches, Cyrus took this opportunity to use an attack taught from his master: Break Beats. He grabbed a leg and, with all of his strength, placed the brother on the top of his head. The black teen then spun him like a top before using the breakdance move called a windmill right beside him. It didn't take long before Cyrus kicked the enemy in the face, dropping him hard on his back in the process.

Cyrus stood back up and turned his attention to the only enemy remaining: Tom. The foe scanned his surrounding and saw all three of his brothers knocked out on the ground. He stared at Cyrus and charged him out of pure fury. He then pulled out a small knife from his pocket and was ready to strike. Cyrus saw the weapon and dodged the swipe. Tom turned around and struck again, but the black teen managed to catch the weapon-holding arm. Squeezing his wrist, Cyrus slammed his shoulder into Tom's gut, causing the jock to drop his weapon.

"So you wanna pull that kind of shit, bitch?" Cyrus replied sternly. Now Cyrus liked a fair fight. He was never one that tolerated unfair advantages, especially if the foe pulled out a weapon against an unarmed opponent. "Imma show you a trick of my own." Ready to teach Tom a lesson, the shizznit used his next attack: the Rocksteady. He pushed Tom back and delivered a series of punches and swift chops before finishing with a high jump kick. He then use a flare before lifting his feet and slamming it under Tom's jaw. Tom slammed to the ground before Cyrus launched himself over his enemy and landed on his chest, knocking the wind right out of him. The battle was over and the fighting trio high-fived one another. The crowd around them cheered from the achieved victory.

"Yeah, we kicked some serious ass, man!" Cyrus said.

Jack walked over to Tom's limp body and knelt beside him. He then raised his head before saying, "See Tom? You were no match for the terrible trio, son!" Tom tried to pick his head up to speak, but was too weak and dropped his head back on the ground.

"That was a fight to remember," Lude said. "We truly are the best. Though Cyrus, I have never seen such moves executed before."

"You can thank Master Diogo for those. If it weren't for him, this jock bitch might actually 've shanked my ass."

"Cyrus!" Chamera yelled as she ran to the black teen before tightly embracing him. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

Cyrus chuckled sheepishly. "Yeah, well... You know..."

"Hey, what's going on here!" an older voice yelled. "Why is there a mosh pit here?"

"Quick, it's the Prince!" Jack replied.

"Time to fade, y'all!" Cyrus said. The four hastily retreated from the scene, pushing past the wall of people.

As soon as their exit closed back up, a man in a gray suit and glasses arrived on the scene. It was none other than Principal Shmitzinger. He scanned the interior of the pit, seeing only Tom and his brothers lying beaten on the ground groaning in pain. He then turned his attention to an object that laid near Tom's hand. It was the very knife he used to try and stab Cyrus with. The principal was furious at the jock and his siblings. "Tommy Sinclair Andrews!" he shouted furiously.

At that moment, all four of the seniors stood up, ignoring their injuries from the battle. "Yes, sir!" they said in unison.

"What is this?" he said as he picked up the weapon. Tom was at loss of words. He knew there was no way to explain it. "Assault with a deadly weapon is on the grounds of an expulsion and criminal charges. You can kiss your ass and scholarship good-bye, Mr. Sinclair!"

"Wait, sir! It's not what you think!" Tommy and his kin were restrained by the campus police and dragged away from the scene.

Meanwhile, Cyrus and his gang were a block away from the school and were ready to go back to their homes. "Cyrus," Chamera said. "You wanna go to Arden?"

"Sure," Cyrus said. "When?"

"How about this Saturday, at twelve thirty?"

"Cool. I'll see you then."

"Later, Cyrus." Chamera embraced Cyrus once more. Then, catching the young shizznit off guard, she kissed him on the cheek. "Take care of your self." Chamera left the scene, leaving a rather flustered Cyrus behind.

"Man, dog," Jack replied. "I ain't seen anything that red since my baby cousin used a red crayon on a tomato."

"Good job, Cyrus," Lude congratulated with a pat on the back. "Not only did we defeat Tom and his brothers, but you just won Chamera's heart over, too."

"It's a celebration, bitches!" Jack said in a tone similar to Rick James'.

Snapping out of his daze, Cyrus cleared his throat and said, "That's true. Seems like thing's are looking up."

"See you on the flip, OGC," Jack replied. The three parted ways. Cyrus went down the same route that he used to come to the school while his two comrades turned the corner.

**Part 1.3: The Start of Something New**

Cyrus survived another long day of learning and other stuff that was a waste of brain cells. He contemplated on the events that happened as he walked back to his bus stop. _"Well, today was just another waste of time,"_ he thought. _"But, I do admit, it wasn't all pointless. I finally won over Chamera. Damn she's hot! Then I went all napalm fu on Tom and his bros. Bet they won't mess with me anytime soon. All I care about right now is getting to the bus. I just hope it won't be Ryder drivin' again. Just thinkin' about it brings back that whiplash from this morning. And the neck's not the only place it stings."_

As Cyrus traversed to his destination, he was caught surprise by an unexpected phenomenon. It was a portal which opened in front of him. Bolts of electric currents were being released as it grew wider in size. He stood in awe and terror. "Holy shizzle gizzngar! What the... What the hell is this?" Cyrus hollered as he quickly backed away. From a safe distance (like about a yard), he investigated the portal.

"Damn! It's an Inter-Dimensional Space-Time Wormhole! With a twisted sub-space included!" the shizznit quipped. "Why the hell is this thing opened. Unless something happened to the fabric or barriers, er… whatever of space, this ain't supposed to be here!" he exclaimed. "What am I gonna do?"

He walked closer to the portal, a stern look on his face. "I could go in. On one hand, there's a possibility that I might not return. On the other hand…" Cyrus smirked at the thought of what might await on the other side. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. To explore strange new worlds. To seek new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no brotha has gone before and keep it real wit' the might pimp hand!" He then returned to reality, realizing the issue at hand. "However, if this thing appeared, no doubt more'll pop up like bad YouTube videos. Hell, there's a chance that it'll suck this world up like a vacuum." After considering the options at hand, Cyrus braced himself. "I have no other choice but to dive in. I just might be able to plug this thing up and save everyone. Besides, I have my tunes here to keep me company." Cyrus pulled out his MP3 Player and checked his battery. The device still had a lot of juice in it. "Well, I have no time to loose. I'm out this bitch!"

With his black hat pointed backward and caution thrown to the wind, the young teen dove into the hole without so much as a second thought. Immediately after he entered, the wormhole closed. Cyrus flailed and yelled at the top of his lungs as he traveled through the tunnel of time and space. Little did he know what was in store for him as he was engulfed in a flash of light.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2.1: To His Surprise**

After jumping into a mysterious wormhole and traveling through an endless tunnel, Cyrus had finally escaped. He was now lying on an unknown building, lying on a bench next to a fountain. _"Man, I feel like I just came out of a waterslide…"_ he thought to himself. _"Where am I?"_ Cyrus cracked his eyes open, partially blinded by the bright lights on the white ceiling. "Oh man. I'm in Gangsta Lean already? I was thinking I had another good twenty years," Cyrus muttered.

"Excuse me," a young brunette around the black teen's age asked as she stood above him. Her hair was in had two long bangs which reached to her shoulders and the rest of it curled in the back. She seemed to have just come from some body of water and was now wrapped in a towel. Accompanying her was a young man with short blue hair. He wore a sleeveless white vest with a pocket on each side and a pair of brown shorts. Both teens looked down at Cyrus as he regained his visual focus. "Are you okay?" the young woman asked.

"Argh... Never better," Cyrus groaned as he sat up. He held his hand on his forehead, his body aching with every small movement. He turned to the two individuals, quickly finding something 'familiar' about them. _"Whoa. I must've hit my head hard on something…"_ Quickly regaining his composure, the young shizznit asked, "Say, could you tell me where I am?"

The girl and boy looked at one another in questionable amazement and then back at Cyrus with the same glance. "You're in the Grantier Resort Hotel on Hyda IV," said the boy with the blue hairdo.

_"Grantier Hotel…? Hyda IV…? Sounds familiar…"_ Cyrus started to think about this real hard as he scratched the side of his head. He then froze after realizing the situation. _"No way! That vortex sent me to my game! I've heard about gettin' interactive but this is whack man. Wait, this could just be coincidence."_ The teen then turned to the fountain and looked down at the calm water. Upon seeing his reflection, he knew something was different. His eyes, which were dark brown since the day he was born were now red. "What the hell?" he whispered.

"Is something wrong?" the boy asked. Cyrus quickly turned around to the duo. "You're not looking too good."

Regaining his composure, the young shizznit said, "Naw, I'm cool," Of course, being thrown into a different dimension and learning his eyes changed colors, he was far from okay.

"How about we introduce ourselves," the young woman replied. "My name's Sophia Esteed, this is my friend Fayt."

"I'm Fayt Leingod. It's nice to meet you," said the blue-head.

"Aight. The name's Cyrus. Cyrus Splicer," he said before nodding his head. _"Fayt Leingod!? Sophia Esteed!? There's no doubt about it. I'm definitely in the Star Ocean universe!"_

"Um… Tell you what, Cyrus. How about you come with us?" Sophia asked.

"To where?" Cyrus asked.

"We're going to take a walk around the hotel. And since it seems you only know where the lobby is..."

"Um... Sure… Yeah, I just came here. A tour in a luxury resort sounds cool." He then turned to Fayt. "Is that all right with you?" Cyrus asked.

"Yeah. That sounds good," Fayt said in agreement.

"First, I need to get changed." Sophia said.

"Sure," Fayt said. "Let's go." The three went up the floors by use of transporter. Cyrus still had a lot on his mind. Being thrown in a universe that wasn't his own was starting to get to him. However, there was a part of him who was sort of enjoying this.

**Part 2.2: The Grand Tour**

The two boys, Cyrus and Fayt, were waiting on both sides of Sophia's door. Cyrus stood against the wall nonchalantly. With his hat covering his face, he started thinking over his current condition. _"I really am in the game. Or at least, a universe pretty close to it. And now I've become a part of it. Either way, this is pretty tight."_ Cyrus turned to the door of Sophia's room. It's been at least twenty minutes. Even Fayt seemed rather bored. _"Aside from the graphics and battle system, there was something else I liked about this game? The loading times didn't take so long. Guess the hard truth is that even here, women love to take their time when they get ready."_

After changing for said amount of minutes, Sophia came out of the room. She was now wearing a pink tank top and blue jeans. "Hi, Fayt. Hey, Cyrus." she said gleefully.

"Yo," Cyrus greeted.

"Sophia," Fayt began. "That took a pretty long time. What were you doing in there."

"I was just changing," Sophia said. "Was I taking too much time?"

"Well, yeah."

"Really," Sophia said wryly. "Almost like how a certain someone made wait as he played video games?"

"Oh yeah…" Fayt said sheepishly as he scratched his head.

Cyrus smirked at the older teen's reaction. "Oooh. Someone just got burned."

Taking Fayt's hand, Sophia tugged on him, asking, "Shall we?"

"Okay, okay," Fayt replied playfully. "You don't need to yank my arm off!"

Cyrus followed the two with his hands resting behind his head. He turned his MP3 player on "Summer in the City" by St. Lunatics. Halfway down the hall, the young shizznit asked, "So where are we going first?"

"Well, how 'bout the beach?" Fayt asked.

"Oh yeah. I heard the one on this world was pretty nice."

"It does," Sophia said. "And it's very beautiful, too. Besides, Fayt needs some fresh air after playing all those games."

The trio took the transporters on the west side of the hall. One at a time, they stepped off transporters. Next, they walked to the other side of the facility where they met a Tetrageniot staff employee (An alien with three eyes. The third being on the center of their forehead. Think Tein Shinhan from the Dragonball series). She was in a light lavender uniform. "Welcome to the Grantier Resort Hotel," the worker said. "Please come and relax inside the hotel if you get tired out in the severe yet perfectly natural heat of this planet."

"Thanks for the tip." Cyrus said. They proceeded to the transporters. They then found another employee that was a blond.

"Welcome to Hyda IV's natural beach, the pride of the galaxy," She said. "There are nothing but natural living organisms here, from the small creatures living on the seashore, to the fish swimming in the sea. Absolutely no holography, robotics, or artificial organisms are used."

The group exited the lounge and were now on the beach. To Cyrus, it was more beautiful than in the game. It almost reminded him of Long Beach in Southern California. There were gulls flying overhead, palm trees scattered on the stretch, and dolphins breaking the surface of the glistening seawater and performing acrobatic leaps. And of course, it wouldn't be called a beach without women with slender profiles wearing bikinis. As Fayt and Cyrus took in the scenery, Sophia walked in front of them and said, "I'll be back in a second. I just need to check with Aunt Ryoko and Uncle Robert about something."

"Okay," Fayt said. As the brunette left the scene, Fayt and Cyrus waited under a palm tree. "So, how are you liking this place so far?"

"It's okay," Cyrus said. "Been a while since I've left Northgate. Haven't been to the beach for a while."

"So Cyrus, do you play games."

At that moment, Cyrus turned to Fayt and smirked. It was a sorta ironic moment for the young shizznit. "Do ya need to ask, man?" Cyrus sneered. "Right next to rap and women, it's like my other love, homes."

"That's good to hear. Later on, I'm thinking of trying that new simulator. You wanna come."

"'Course, home boy."

"Well, hey there!" a woman's voice called. The two young men turned around and saw an attractive young woman in a blue one-piece swimsuit with a sun decorated on her side. "You two are kinda cute."

"You're not too bad on da eyes, yourself," Cyrus thought.

She then inspected the two thoroughly. After passing judgement, she gave a small nod and smiled. "I bet you're pretty single, right?" the woman said in a seductive tone. "You know, being on this beach all day has made me rather parched... How about you guys?"

"We're, uh…" Fayt was rather speechless. He didn't know what to say to the woman making advances toward them.

"Burning up just by standing here…" Cyrus said, also attracted by the girl.

"Well then, I have an idea," continued the flirtatious lady. "Maybe you two would like to come to my room. Perhaps we can have a little drinky there?"

Fayt scratched his head. "Um, uh... drinky?" Fayt said in a confused tone.

"Oh shizznit..." Cyrus muttered as he saw a rather uneasy Sophia approach.

The brunette made her way to her male comrades, rather steamed by how Fayt was looking gawking. "Fayt! You can't go around talking to just anybody!" she chastised after stamping her foot.

"Uh oh..." Cyrus muttered.

"Oh Sophia!" Fayt replied rather off guard.

"'Oh Sophia!?' That's all you can say!?" repeated the frustrated Esteed. "What happened to your brain, Fayt?"

"This ain't lookin' pretty..." Cyrus said as he tried to sneak off. "I think I should ghost..."

"And Cyrus, shame on you!"

"_Busted,"_ Cyrus thought as he moped.

"I would think you would know better. But you're as bad as he is!"

"_Holy shizznit, Sophia's hardcore. Remind me not to mess wit' her."_ "My bad," Cyrus replied apologetically.

The young woman glanced at Sophia before returning her focus on Fayt. "Is she your sister or something?"

"_To tell you the truth, I thought they were cousins."_

Fayt turned back to face the infatuated woman. Then back at Sophia. With a quick response, Fayt said, "My girlfriend. Pretty cute, isn't she?"

"Wha-? I... who? What was that? Whaaat!?" Sophia responded with great shock, but flattered as her face turned as red as a cherry.

"Just play along," he whispered to the brunette.

"Y-yeah. Okay," she said.

"Well, anyway–thanks for the offer and all, but I'd have to pass," he said.

"Yeah alright. I understand." Flirt said. She then turned to Cyrus and asked, "Hey, what about you? It will be just you and me. Wanna come?"

"Er…" Cyrus was stuck. He could either ditch Fayt and Sophia and have a one night stand. Or he could stick with them. _"Oh man,"_ he thought. _"Why can't stuff like this be easy…"_ Using logic, Cyrus said, "Sorry. It's a crime to refuse an offer from girl as hot as yourself. But I already got a lady," he said.

"Uhh, what a waste of time..." the woman groaned. "Here I thought by going to an EXPENSIVE hotel like this, I'd surely meet some hot guys..." she said. "And when I find a couple who're my type, they're taken! Why do I always get the all bad luck when it comes to dating?" The young woman walked in between Sophia and Fayt. With a slightly agitated voice, she said "Excuse me." Fayt and Sophia cleared the way, allowing the woman to pass.

"Er, sorry, Sophia." Fayt said sincerely.

"Yeah, our bad," Cyrus said.

"A-about what?" Sophia asked, still a little astonished from what Fayt said.

"I mean... I know it was a spur the moment kinda thing, but I shouldn't have said that." Fayt explained. "But if I hadn't, she wouldn't have backed off, right? So..."

"For the record, she came on to us," Cyrus said. "She was on the prowl for single men like a lion hunting a zebra on the Discovery Channel."

"You surprise me, Fayt," Sophia said. "I mean, me, your girlfriend? I mean, it's not a big deal. After all... It's not like I hate you, or anything."

"Well playa, you handled that well," Cyrus complimented with a hand on his shoulder. "I bet not many guys could repel a girl like that. You've shown intellect and maturity far past your years, homes. I respect that."

"Thanks. You did well, too," Fayt replied.

"Yeah, well... I guess it's a skill that very few possess." Cyrus shrugged.

"Hey look. It's mom and dad." Fayt said.

"Huh?" The group walked to the couple sitting under an umbrella near the seashore. One was a mature woman with short blue hair. in a thin hooded sweater with short sleeves. The other was an older man with gray hair and a pair of spectacles. He wore a Hawaiian flower shirt and a pair of shorts.

"Oh, Fayt! You finally decided to join us," the woman said. "I bet you were playing games?"

"What if I was? It's just something I like doing." Fayt said.

"I know, but... Couldn't you stop with the games–at least while we're on this trip? Don't you think it's unfair to Sophia, after she took the time to travel with us?"

Fayt looked back at Sophia, whose arms were folded and upset once more about the teenager's action. "You don't have to lecture me like that. I'm not a kid anymore."

"Sometimes I wonder about that..." Fayt's mom continued. "At least, I still think you're a child every time you get so defensive like this," the woman said. "You should just be happy that I still talk to you about these things. That just shows how much I love you."

"Awww..." Cyrus said. Fayt's mom glanced at the young shizznit who faced the water's edge.

"Fayt, is this a new friend of yours?" his mom asked.

"Oh, yeah. Cyrus, this is my mom, Ryoko Leingod. Mom, Cyrus." Fayt introduced.

They shook hands. "Hello." Cyrus said.

"It's a pleasure," Ryoko said.

"And over there is my dad, Robert Leingod. He's the leading authority in Symbological Genetics." Fayt explained.

"That's cool!" Cyrus said, though, he already knew. "I've seen a few of your books. Pretty good stuff, I might add."

"Well, it's always good to meet a fan," Robert said as the two shook hands.

"Say, how about we go back inside," Sophia suggested.

"Okay." Cyrus said after he scratched his head. The group went inside the building and took the transporters up to the next floor.

**Part 2.3: Unknown Fame**

The group walked throughout the hotel, visiting areas they've seen and giving Cyrus the tour. They soon found themselves on the east wing of the facility and in front of a door. "Hey, I wonder what's on this side of the hotel?" Fayt said. "Could it be the transit to the shopping center.

"Maybe it is," Cyrus said. "What do you think, Sophia?"

"Well, I don't know…" Sophia said. "I think it's on the other side."

"Well, we won't know until we go in," Fayt said.

The three went inside the room, thinking they would find a transit (or at the very least, a storage closet). What they found was nothing close. The room was instead home to circus entertainers. A lively girl who was digging through a box of supplies "greeted" them. She had tan skin and white hair in two pig tails. She wore a lavender shirt and had a long bangle attached to her wrists and waist (thanks to three belts around her belly. "Whaaat?" she replied as she saw them at the door. "Who are you? This is the Rossettis' dressing room! Hmm? Oh, I know! You couldn't wait to get my autograph!" the lively girl said. "Ah well, gotta keep the fans happy…" She walked up to the trio holding a pen in her hand. "Usually, I'd be pretty mad if someone came barging in like that, but since you're so cute I'll make an exception this time."

"Ah…You said the Rossettis?" Fayt asked whimsically. "I've never heard of them."

"Sorry," Sophia said.

"Must be an underground group or some cult favorite," Cyrus replied.

"What? You mean you didn't know our troupe's name?" the girl said asked. "Hmm. Well, now that you do, don't go forgetting it! Say, what are your names?"

"Fayt… But…"

"I'm Sophia."

"The name's Cyrus."

"Right," the girl said. She skipped behind Fayt and tugged on his shirt to straighten it out.

"Hey, what are you doing…?"

Before Fayt could finish asking, the sound of a pen or marker being opening was heard. With the writing utensil drawing, the girl started writing on his shirt. "To…my…darling…Fayt… From the Fairy of Illusions, Peppita Rossetti… There you go!"

Sophia and Cyrus walked behind Fayt to see what Peppita wrote. "What the--!?" Sophia said in shock.

"Holy shizzle!" Cyrus replied.

On the back of Fayt's shirt was a large smiley face that was supposedly the Fairy of Illusion's. Fayt turned his back to a nearby mirror and saw the young girl's artwork. "Hey!" he shouted. "You can't just draw on somebody's shirt!"

"I think she just did, G," Cyrus sneered.

"Wait a minute?" Peppita said. "I thought you wanted my autograph!?" Peppita said.

"Nobody said anything about an autograph!" Sophia said.

"Huuuuh!? But…I mean…wha--!? But I thought…" Peppita was flabbergasted. "Then…did you want my to get my mama's autograph? Or…maybe my papa's?" she asked. "You can't possibly want Gonnella the Clown's autograph or Ursus the Strongman's…right?"

"No, we're not really looking for autographs…" Fayt said.

"Well, what then…are you a salesman!? Nah… Come to think of it, you look like the kinda guy who's never done an honest day's work in his life." she said as she walked around and inspected the blue-haired teen.

"Wow! And your supposed to be the cute one," Cyrus said jokingly. Fayt glanced at the black teen before his attention was returned to Peppita, who was still interrogating him.

"I know who you are! You must be the loan collector! Well guess what, you're too early! It's supposed to be good until next month and they promised!!"

"No…no! We're none of those things!" Fayt replied, raising his hands submissively. "Who are the Rossettis, anyway? And what's with this 'Fairy of Illusion' you keep talking about?"

"Hmmm…okay, soooo, umm… You guys really don't know who we are…" Peppita said, heartbroken by the news.

"That's what we've been trying to tell you," Sophia said.

"So you three are just lost!?"

"Well, not really lost…" Fayt said.

"Oh no! Then that must mean you're robbers!"

"No, not that either."

"Then what are you!? You're not fans, or loan collectors, and your not lost… Then what are you doing barging into people's rooms!?"

"Eh… Sight-seeing?" Cyrus said. "Hey, if this room has circus performers in it, do you think the next room belongs to Bruce Springsteen?"

"Um, sorry about that," Fayt apologized to Peppita. "We were taking a walk around, and checking this place out. But then when we got sidetracked… Isn't that right, guys?"

"Mmm-hmm," went Sophia

"Fo' real," Cyrus said.

"I hate to say I told you so, but…" Fayt sighed at Sophia's comment. He knew that he'd be paying her back sooner or later.

"You were taking a walk!?" the girl said in a dumbfounded manner.

"Yeah, a walk," answered Fayt.

"Barging into people's rooms isn't called 'taking a WALK!' That's something burglars, or lost kids, or stalkers, or groupies would do…"

"Uh…okay. Then… We're lost."

"Let's get out of here, Fayt," Sophia whispered.

"Good idea," Fayt said.

"Good as gone," Cyrus stated.

"So you WERE lost," Peppita said. "That explains everything. And here I thought you were my very first fan…" the girl said as she made circles on the floor with her finger depressingly. She then cheered up and said, "Ah well, it's not like I've performed yet. So, it did seem a little strange."

"What a change in mood," Cyrus thought out loudly.

"You're a performer?" Fayt asked.

"That's right. We're the Rossetti Troupe, and we bring you a fleeting visions of the future! I'm your fairy guide, Peppita Rossetti." she said and spun. "Well, if you want to hear it in plain Terran, we're a circus troupe, and I am sort of the hostess."

"Oh, I get it… So this shirt with your signature will be worth a lot one day?"

"Of course! It's the first autograph I ever signed!"

"The first!?"

"I can tell by the workmanship," Cyrus replied. "Very nice."

"Tomorrow's the big debut of our troupe. In six months, why, you could buy an entire planet with that shirt!"

"Oh yeah? Amazing. An entire planet. I guess I'll have to take good care of it," Fayt mocked.

"Hey… " Peppita replied. "You don't believe me!?"

"No, that's not it. I believe it. In fact, I'm sure you'll be dynamite on that stage."

"You really think so? Teehee… Thanks! Since I'm in a good mood, I'll give this little present to you, my first fan!"

Peppita handed a ticket to Fayt. "Huh… A ticket?" Fayt asked.

"Hey, don't we get one too?" Sophia asked.

"Yeah," Cyrus said. "We're with him too, you know."

"Sorry," Peppita replied. "I only want Fayt to come."

Sophia had a blank face while the only thought going through Cyrus' head was, _"We just got screwed over by a fourteen year old."_

"Anyway, our show's tomorrow night! And you better not miss it! After you see us at the show, you'll want to treasure that autograph for the rest of your life!"

"Gee, thanks. I'm looking forward to the show," Fayt said.

"Great! I'll be seeing you later, Fayt!"

The three left the Rossetti Troupe's room and rested against the wall. "Hey Fayt, the next time you want to see what's in a room, don't." Cyrus advised.

"Well, let's go," Fayt said. "We still have more places to go." Fayt proceeded down the hall.

"Do you think he knows where he's going this time?"

"Not really," Sophia said.

"Hey, are you two coming or what?" Fayt called. The two caught up to the blue-haired college student as they left the doorway.

**Part 2.4: Simulated Scenarios and Survival Tactics**

In a few minutes, they reached the hotel's gaming area. At the center, there was a fountain and a few benches. It was filled with many other individuals their age and a few kiosks.

"Hey," Cyrus said. "Isn't this where we first met?" asked Cyrus.

"Yeah," Sophia said. "Hey, why are we… Oh no." Sophia realized that Fayt's mind was now in la-la land. The teen eyes were glued to something that, to him; was interesting. It was none other than the combat simulator on the far-side of the room. Lured like a moth to the light, Fayt walked over to the virtual reality machine. Sophia and Cyrus had no choice but to help. "Games again?" Sophia said. "Didn't you just play those things not too long ago! Keep doing that and you'll turn into a braindead muscleman!"

"Hey, he's a hardcore gamer," Cyrus said. "It's in his blood. It's how he rolls."

"You know what?" Fayt said in a sly tone. "Why don't you join me, Sophia? I'm sure you'll like it. And it's really fun too."

"But this is a combat simulator," Sophia said. "No thanks… I don't like these kind of games. Too much fighting."

"Don't worry. I'll be there to protect you."

"But…"

"Would I let you do anything dangerous?" Fayt asked. Sophia stood silently. "Trust me. Everything's alright!"

"Well… Okay. If you say so… I could give it a try."

"What about you, Cyrus? I'm sure you'd like it."

Cyrus knew he couldn't pass up this offer. After all, even though in the real world it was a tutorial, it still looked good. "You know it!" Cyrus answered. "Let's do it." Another reason he agreed was so he could improve his skills, especially when they'll come in handy later on.

"Then it's settled. Let's start at an easy level since you're a beginner. You'd probably want a character that uses symbology from a distance rather than close range, right?" Fayt asked.

"Yeah… Well… Will it hurt?" Sophia asked.

"You have nothing to worry about. At beginner's level, it doesn't hurt at all."

"Okay… I'll give it a shot."

"Excellent. How about you Cyrus?"

"Well…" Cyrus thought about how he wanted to play as. With his training with Master Diogo back in his world, the black teen was no stranger to weapons of many kinds. However, he was more interested in the sword arts (the styles used as well as their place in honorable combat more than peeked his interest). After a moment of deciding his weapon, Cyrus gave Fayt his answer. "Hook me up with a couple of swords. I wanna try my hand at dual combat."

"Two swords, huh?" Fayt said. "Interesting choice." The blue-haired teen entered the information into the computer. After processing the data, the simulator room's door opened and the three teens stepped inside the empty room.

"Welcome to the Hyda IV Battle Simulator," the female voice of the computer system advised. "Please set Battle System parameters before continuing."

"What do you wanna do, Sophia? Let's start from the beginning… You wanna take a look at the instructions?" Fayt asked.

"I dunno… Should I?" Sophia asked.

"It sounds like a good idea," Cyrus said as he look around. "After all, what good's a game without knowing the rules."

"Okay, I will." The three read the instructions, getting acquainted with the computer system. In about a few minutes, they finished reading the instructions. "I'm done."

"All right, let's play. Computer, start," Fayt said.

"Player 1: Fayt Leingod. Character: Sword Master Adonis Klein. User level: AAA.

Player 2: Sophia Esteed. Character: Flare Witch Cecilia Femina. User level: E.

Player 3: Cyrus Splicer. Character: Double Wielder Chase Findu. User level: E.

Battlefield: Remote City of Listia. Monster level: E. Setup complete. Continue?"

"Okay. We're ready." Fayt said.

"Preparing to commence. This Simulation System will abort a game if it detects that player safety is at risk," the computer warned.

"I already know that. Just start."

"Confirmed. Commencing game."

The simulation room's surroundings changed instantly. Instead of a grid-covered room, the trio were in an arena surrounded by a ruined city. Cyrus was impressed by the activation and evenly impressed by the light (though grid-styled) armor he wore and long blades that he carried. Appearing in front of the group was a large chicken with a hooked beak (Moa) and two equally large insects with four pincers each (Poisonous Beetles). "Alright," Fayt started as he formulated a plan. "I'll attack the moa. Cyrus, you attack the beetle on the right."

"10-4, home boy," Cyrus said as he turned his MP3 Player to "Sinister Sundown" from "Kingdom Hearts RE: Chain of Memories."

"Sophia, do you think you can fight the other beetle."

Sophia gave a light nod. "I'll do best," she said.

"Okay. Let's do this." The battle had started as Fayt and Cyrus charged at their designated opponents. With swift, as well as strong, slashes, the two swordsmen fought the enemies with ease. Sophia focused her attack on the other Poisonous Beetle, making sure to keep her distance from the foe. The two swordsmen were slicing the enemies in a short time. By the time Fayt finished off the moa, he hurried to the remaining beetle and struck it before it attack Sophia. Not long after that strike, Cyrus finished the insect off with swift strikes of his dual blades. The battle was over and the room reverted back to normal.

Sophia sighed then said, "That wore me out…"

"But it was fun, wasn't it?" Fayt asked.

"Well, it wasn't too bad, I guess."

"Pretty tight if you ask me," Cyrus said with a smile.

"How about we stop and grab a bite to eat? You two look pretty bushed," Fayt said.

"Yeah, I'm beat," Sophia agreed.

"Fun as it is," said Cyrus. "There's no way I can play again."

"Ha hah, you two need start exercising!" Fayt quipped.

"What are you talking about?" Cyrus exclaimed. "I'm pretty healthy for my size and age."

"Hmph. I guess to him, we're just fatties," Sophia said to the black teen.

"Hey, hey! No one's saying that. Sheesh…" Fayt defended, seeing he was beat two-to-one. "Let's go find my mom and dad," Fayt explained.

"Alright."

Cyrus could only lower his head. _"Hate to say it, but food 'll have to wait, playa," _he thought_. "'The bomb's gonna drop, fo' real."_

Suddenly, a small rumble caught the group by surprise. "What the--!?" Fayt yelped.

"Level two tremor detected. The system will be temporarily deactivated for your safety. We apologize for any inconvenience," the system responded.

"An earthquake?" Fayt said in surprise.

"Tectonic activity my ass!" Cyrus said, knowing exactly what was going on. Suddenly, a stronger tremor shook the ground. As it hit, Sophia lost her balance. However, Fayt managed to catch her before. Another tremor occurred, causing Sophia to screech, Fayt to groan, and Cyrus to loose his balance. _"They're here!"_ the shizznit thought as he looked up.

"This is an emergency alert. Hyda IV is currently under attack by unidentified spacecraft. All civilians should follow immediate evacuation instructions on the nearest console. I repeat: All

civilians…" the computer ordered.

"Computer! What's happening!?" Fayt asked.

"Remote Station #7, Hyda III, and Hyda IV are currently under attack by unidentified ships. Remote Station #7 has scrambled its own ships to mount a counterattack, but they are outnumbered and therefore unable to provide evacuation assistance to Hyda IV."

"An attack by unidentified ships!?"

"Standby for video display," A video of the chaos outside was viewed. It showed a large battleship hovering over the city. The vessel fired one of its missiles, creating a plum of fire. A sign of utter destruction. More ships dropped from the heavens, attacking the planet with extreme prejudice.

"This can't be happening..." Fayt said in disbelief.

"As an emergency measure, all transporters have been directly linked to the Evacuation Terminal. Please commence evacuation by following the established route. I repeat: Please commence…"

"Oh man." Cyrus said in a low heart-sunk voice. "This is crazier than I thought." He now didn't want to believe that he was in this universe. He hoped for this to be a nightmare. Unfortunately, he had to face reality (or at least the one he was in): it was really happening and there is nothing he can do about it.

"Fayt..." Sophia said in a scared tone.

"Don't worry, Sophia. I'll stay with you," he assured.

"Th-thanks, Fayt."

"And to help calm you two down, I'm tagging along," Cyrus said. "Safety in numbers, right?"

"We appreciate it, Cyrus," Fayt said. "Thanks."

"Hey, you two helped a brotha out. I'm just returning the favor."

"Then let's go." Fayt said to them.

"Yeah," Sophia replied.

"On it," Cyrus said as he played "Bombs Over Baghdad" by Outkast on his MP3 Player (a rather fitting song for their current situation). As the doors of the simulator room opened, the trio witnessed the pandemonium as panicked bodies started pouring out of the lobby's exits.

"Fayt, I'm worried about your parents. Do you think they're alright?" Sophia asked.

"I don't know," Fayt said. "But at any rate, we gotta get somewhere safe fast. Sure, I'm worried about mom and dad, but we need to think about ourselves right now."

"True that," Cyrus said. "We best ghost. We'll think about what to do after we escape in one piece." Suddenly, another bomb, this one much closer, rattled the entire hotel. "Unless this building goes like London Bridges first."

"You're right," Sophia agreed. They quickly bolted out of the room. The hall became denser by the second as more people crowded the passageway. As the trio passed the Rossetti Troupe's room, Fayt turned back around. "Fayt, what's wrong!?" Sophia asked with concern.

"The Rossetti Troupe! We gotta see if they're alright."

"Let's hurry then. The clock's be tickin', know what I'm sayin'?" Cyrus said. They ran to the Rossetti Troupe's suite. They found Peppita and her friends still in the room packing up.

"Why are guys still here?" Fayt said. "Didn't you hear the announcement? We gotta get outta here."

"Well Fayt, I could ask you the same question," Peppita said rather calmly. "Why are you here? You guys gotta hurry up and go before it's too late."

"'Hurry and go?' What are you talkin' about?" Cyrus asked.

"We're waiting for my mama and papa," She answered. "If we leave, we'll miss them, won't we? But forget us. What about you guys, Fayt? If you're evacuating or finding somebody, you better get a move on."

"Yeah, Fayt," Sophia said. "We should find your mom and dad right away." Cyrus folded his arms and shook his head in agreement.

"You're right. Whatever we do, the situation's only gonna get worse the longer we take. Okay, let's hurry Sophia and Cyrus."

With a nod they followed Fayt out of the Rossetti Troupe's chambers and dashed to the transporter room. In there, they found the Tetrageniot Hotel Employee. "Due to the state of emergency, all transporters have been redirected to send guests to a special floor, where a large transporter waits to take you to the Emergency Shelter," she informed. "After the arrival of all guests at the shelter has been confirmed, the transport jammer located in the evacuation facility will be activated. Please evacuate in an orderly and speedy manner."

"Hey, if everyone's being transported to the floor, that means your parents might be down there too," Sophia said.

"You could be right," Fayt replied. The three stepped inside the transporter and arrived on the lower floor. It was a long corridor guarded by Pangalactic guards. After leaving the transporter room, they found the people Fayt was hoping to find: Robert and Ryoko Leingod heading to the shelter. "Hey!" Fayt shouted.

Robert and Ryoko turned around. "Uncle Robert and Aunt Ryoko!" shouted Sophia.

"You guys are alright!" Cyrus exclaimed.

"It's good to see you mad it here." Robert said.

"You too, dad." Fayt said.

Ryoko embraced Sophia. "What a relief. I was so worried," Ryoko said.

"What's going on, dad? Is Aldian attacking?" Fayt asked.

"Probably not. From the looks of their weapons and their technology, it's most likely…"

"Most likely…what?" Fayt asked.

"_The Vendeeni,"_ Cyrus thought with folded arms.

"Never mind—we must get out of here," Robert insisted. "Let's go."

The party walked to the next section of the facility, hoping to reach the transporter. However, their path was blocked as a soldier stopped them from proceeding. "Please wait here," the soldier said.

"Is there a problem, sir?" Robert asked.

"The line for the transporter is long already. You'll need to wait here until it gets shorter," he insisted.

"I see. We'll wait, then."

Suddenly, a loud bang followed by an aftershock occurred. "Damn! They breaking through!" the soldier hissed. "Get going! Keep moving forward!!" he commanded the group.

"Let's get out of here!!" Sophia said.

"Yeah!" Fayt said.

"We are out this bitch!" Cyrus shouted.

Just then, another quake caused by a nearby explosion occurred. The force of the blast shattered a section of a wall nearby. As the smoke cleared, a small group of enemy soldiers revealed themselves. They wore long blue robes and carried large guns. Their heads were rather large and white with a long ponytail that shot from the top. They were none other than the Vendeeni. "Here they are!" shouted a Vendeeni soldier.

"Capture the target!" another Vendeeni ordered (this one with a tattoo around his left eye and wearing a dark green cloak). "Eliminate the rest!"

Ready to defend the other visitors from the enemy, more Pangalactic soldiers arrived on the scene. "Run for it!" shouted one of them to Fayt's party. A fire fight broke out. Lasers crossed paths from one side to the other. However, it was the Vendeeni who had the upper hand. Their weapons took out the resistance with little effort.

"Robert…" Ryoko whispered to her husband, startled at the outcome.

"Yes… It's as I feared."

"Dad!?" Fayt yelled.

"Run, you three!"

"Uncle Robert!?" Sophia shouted.

"Yo doc, what are—" Cyrus began before he was interrrupted.

"Just get out of here!" Robert replied.

"You must keep moving now!" Ryoko said. "You two must protect her!"

"You must hurry! Don't worry about us!" Robert replied. A breif pause filled the room. "It's all right. We'll be at the Evacuation Facility soon." Robert said.

"Promise, Dad?" Fayt asked.

"Promise!"

Though he felt the need to try and persuade his father to change his mind, Fayt knew that there was no time. Reluctantly, Fayt decided it was time to leave. "Let's go, Sophia! Come on, Cyrus!"

"Okay!"

"'Ight!" Fayt ran down the passage. Sophia and Cyrus both bowed their farewells to the Leingods before catching up with the blue-haired teen.

"They're getting away!" shouted a Vendeeni solder. "Quick, use the Incapacitators!" As the three ran down the halls, the sounds of metal began catching up to them. Sophia turned around and saw a trio of Incapacitator Vasses (large robots that scuttled on four legs). It wasn't long until the robots caught up to them. Quickly, Fayt and Cyrus armed themselves with metal pipes. With "The Valedictory Elegy" from "Baten Kaitos II: The First Wings and the Heirs of God" blaring in Cyrus' ears, the two charged at the mechs. Using the rods like swords, they fought their pursuers like the holograms they fought in the simulator. Sophia also grabbed a pipe and entered the fray. She attacked one of the vasses with hard swings before using her symbology to finish it off. The remaining incapacitators tried using Chaos Laser, but it missed its targets and the two "pipesmen" attacked the enemy with powerful strikes. The battle was over in a matter seconds. The trio continued along the hall, but were trapped in a dead end. The team tried going back, but were cornered by another group of vasses.

"Dammit!" Fayt growled.

"I'm scared," a frightened Sophia replied.

"Don't worry. Just stay behind us."

"We'll protect you," Cyrus said. "I've seen can openers tougher than these things."

"O-okay," Sophia said.

Making good on their promise, Fayt and Cyrus combated the opposition. Sophia covered them with her symbology. Unfortunately, the incapacitator's numbers were beginning to overwhelming the team. It seemed that every time they destroyed one, three more took its place. However, from out of nowhere, an Incapacitator Vass was stepped on and destroyed. "What the heck is that!?" Fayt said in surprise.

"Hey Fayt, Sophia, Cyrus. You guys alright??" the familiar voice of a small girl's asked.

"Is that–" Sophia said.

Hope literally smiled upon them in the form of a young Velbaysian girl on the back of a male Rondo Lukian (think of The Big Show or Andre the Giant but with less fat and a little more muscle) appropriately named Ursus. "Peppita!?" Fayt said, surprised to see the two circus performers. She leapt off of Ursus and walked over to them. "How come you're here?"

"That's what I wanted to ask you," Peppita said. "I came to see what the racket was about and I found ya guys…" she explained.

"Well thanks for the back up, Peppy." Cyrus said.

"Don't mention it."

"Lil' lady!?" Ursus called.

"Whatdaya want Ursus…" the group suddenly went into shock. "What the--!?" More Vasses appeared, ready to fight the team once more.

"For walking trashcans, they really don't know when to throw in the towel," Cyrus said.

"Ursus, take care of that one over there! Let's go, everyone!" Peppita said. With Ursus' brute strength and Peppita's swift attacks, the group managed to fight and defeat the robots handily. However, even with Peppita's help, another group arrived on the scene. Of course, they, too, met their demise just as the earlier squadron had.

"Phew… Piece of cake!" Peppita said.

"Thanks for the help." Fayt said.

"No problemo! But we should hurry and leave," Peppita said. "There'll be more of those things coming!"

"You don't need to tell us," Cyrus replied.

"But we can't go back the way we came. The place is a complete disaster. Ursus and I know another way."

"A complete disaster…?" Fayt repeated. "But, my parents!" As Fayt tried to returning to the previous route, Sophia and Cyrus quickly blocked his path.

"Hey, wait a sec, Fayt!?" Sophia replied. "Forget it! You heard Peppita? It's too dangerous back there!" Sophia advised.

"But--!"

"Sophia's right, man," Cyrus responded. "This place is ground zero. If the flames don't get you, you know them soldiers will." _"Dead or alive,"_ he thought.

"What's going, you three! I already said it's too dangerous!" Peppita replied.

"Please, stop him!" Sophia pleaded to the Fairy Guide. "Fayt says he's going back!"

"What? Back…there!?" Peppita said as she pointed down the hall.

"My mom and dad are back there! I have to help them!" Hearing this, Peppita also blocked the blue-teens path. "Outta my way!!" he ordered.

"I'm not gonna let you go down there!"

"You ain't going stupid on us, Fayt," Cyrus said.

"C'mon you guys! Get out of my way!"

Seeing that persuasion was out of the question, Peppita had no other choice. "Ohhh, that's it! Ursus!" she called.

Understanding the situation, the giant of a man grabbed Fayt and carried him over his shoulders in a submission hold. Fayt flail in an attempt to struggle from the Rondo Lunkian's hold. "Lemme go, lemme go!" he yelled. However, the blue-haired teen's attempts proved futile.

"Look, if we don't get out of here, we're all gonna die!" Peppita counseled. "The safest thing to do is to get to the shelter." Acknowledging the predicament, the blue-haired teen bit his lower lip and gave up as he was carried to the transporter by Ursus without so much as a peep.

After being transported, the group found themselves in the evacuation shelter, greeted by the commanding officer upon their arrival. "Welcome to Iruba Shelter #5. This is an evacuation shelter located underneath Hyda IV. Please wait in your assigned rooms until the rescue ship arrives. You are allowed to move freely about the facility, but there are some restricted areas. Please refer to the consoles or ask the nearest official for detailed instructions." Fayt responded with a light nod of agreement.

"All right, then… We'll be going now." Peppita said. She turned to Fayt who only looked away from the young girl. He still felt bitter about what transpired earlier. "Hey... cheer up." With that said, she and Ursus left the room.

"Fayt..." Sophia called in a caring voice.

"...We should go?" Fayt asked. "There's nothing left here, anyway."

"Uh, yeah. But, I'm sure your parents are okay."

"That's right," Cyrus reassured. "There's a chance your fam 'll make it here."

"...Yeah, I know," Fayt replied. "Let's go."

As they were about to leave, the group were stopped by the Federation officer. "Before you go," the officer began. "The room available to you is #506. Remember that."

"Okay. 506, got it."

"The rescue transports will be here soon. Please try and relax until then."

"Okay," Sophia said after she bowed.

The group left the transporter room and headed to their stationed quarters. But before they reached their room, the trio heard a rather heated conversation taking place in #509. Interested in the topic that was taking place, the three went inside.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3.1: There's Something About Rossetti**

Inside the room, the Rossetti Troupe were having a heated discussion. The main topic of interest was the attack on the surface of Hyda IV (which by now is nothing more but a burning wasteland). Thanks to the Vendeeni's military actions, their entertaining affairs had to be put on hold for the time being. Fame and fortune would have to wait "I'm just glad to see that everyone is alright," said Piccolotto, the short ringmaster of the show and father of Peppita. "Alright, time to discuss our business plans…" Before the group could decide on the next course of action, they noticed the trio standing at the door.

"What!? Fayt?" Peppita said as they entered. "What are you doing here?"

"We heard you guys on the other side and wanted to check what's up?" Cyrus said.

It didn't take long for Dulcenia, Picolotto's wife and Peppita's mother, to notice Fayt's rather depressed expression. He was still down about what had transpired not too long ago. "You seem pretty down, there," the red dress wearing woman said to the blue-haired teen. "What happened to you?"

Fayt told his story to the troupe. He told them about how he was separated by his parents and his fight with the robots. The group of performers listened and understood the blue-haired teen's strife.

"I see… your parents…" Piccolotto said in a sad tone.

"Ah well, it's not like you can do anything, eh?" Gonnella the clown said in a rather carefree manner. "But at least you're still alive, eh?"

"Ahh, Gonnella!" snapped Peppita. "You should watch what you say!"

"No it's okay, he's right," Fayt said in an accepting tone. "Even if I could, what could I've done… Maybe if I was stronger, I might've had a chance…"

"Fayt…" Sophia said.

"I know what you mean, homes," Cyrus said.

"Strength is not enough," Ursus advised. "You can't beat them."

"He's right. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself," Dulcenia agreed. "Those people were professional soldiers… There's no way to fight something like that."

"And, you know…" began Piccolotto. "Just because they didn't arrive here doesn't mean your parents died. It is possible they've survived and are in hiding. Don't give up so soon."

"Or they're captured, eh," Gonnella added in a carefree manner.

"Gonnella!" Peppita hissed, ready to gang up on him before Ursus intervened. Cyrus also had the urge to smack the clown (or at the very least, kick him in the shin). However, the dark shizznit knew how right Gonnella was.

"It's all right," the strongman said to Fayt. "If your parents are captured, then you can go rescue them."

"Anyway, you must be patient," Piccolotto wisely consoled. "There's nothing anyone can do now. Especially when no one has any idea what's going on?"

"Yeah… You have a point," Fayt agreed.

"You three need to get some rest," Dulcenia suggested. "After what you've been through, you're too tired to try anything now."

"She got a point," Cyrus said. "Them walking garbage bins back there took a lot out of us. Plus there's there's no way that guy at the transported will let go back."

"Why don't you stay here with us?" Peppita offered. "Wouldn't you feel safer here with everyone?"

"Thanks, but I'm fine," Fayt said. "I want to think these things over, anyway."

"Uh, okay." Fayt and Cyrus left the room. Sophia respectfully bowed to the Rossetti Troupe before taking her leave as well.

"So, what do we do now?" Sophia asked.

"I hear there's an Expelian healer in this joint," Cyrus proposed. "We should get patched up first and then hit the hay." They traversed to the north side of the facility and entered a room. Inside were a few other patients getting treated. Many were bruised or wrapped in bandages. Luckily, none had life threatening injuries. After being healed, the group took the eastern route, figuring they could look around a bit.

It wasn't long until Sophia noticed a familiar girl sobbing on the stairs leading to the restricted area. "Hey, Fayt..." she said. "Isn't that Peppita?" The trio walked over and stood behind the sobbing Velbaysian. Standing by her side was Ursus the strongman.

"What's going on, big man?" Cyrus asked the Rondo Lukian.

"The little lady's upset about what happened earlier," the strongman said.

"Earlier?"

"Hey, Fayt," Peppita called. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," he said softly. "What is it?"

"Do you think, maybe, I should have left you alone that time?"

"That time?"

"Yeah. Back at the hotel, when I had Ursus grab you. It's all my fault you got separated from your parents in the first place, isn't it?"

"Peppita..." Sophia commented.

"You can't really think that... Can you?" Cyrus asked.

"No, it isn't," Fayt said. Peppita turned around slightly, listening as the older teen explained. "If it weren't for you, I would have been killed. It's okay, Peppita."

"Oh, really…?" Peppita asked. She then wiped the tears from her eyes and stood up. "Well that's a relief," she said in a happier tone.

"It is true," said Sophia. "Why would you ask such a thing?"

"Umm... It's nothing," Peppita said. "I was worried about it, that's all."

"Well, I guess we'll see you later, Pep," Cyrus said.

"You too, guys," the young Velbaysian said.

The three left the scene and went to their room. It wasn't long after they entered that Sophia started showing signs of fatigue. With a hand placed on her forehead, she began loosing her balance. "Sophia? You okay?" Fayt asked in concern.

"Yeah… I think I am."

"Don't trip," Cyrus said. "It's obvious you need some shuteye."

Fayt nodded in agreement. The two helped Sophia to her bed. After arriving, the brunette lied down and covered herself with the bed's sheets. "I'm sorry," Sophia said apologetically. "Guess I'm getting in the way."

"Don't worry," Fayt said.

"Right," Cyrus said. "This was a wild day for all of us. No one can blame you for being tired."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Sophia replied. "Um… Fayt, Cyrus?"

"What is it?" Fayt asked.

"Yo," Cyrus replied.

"Will you two stay until I fall asleep? I don't want to be alone," Sophia asked as she covered half her face beneath her bed's sheet.

"Of course we will," Fayt replied. "You just relax and go to sleep." Fayt said.

"Word," Cyrus said.

"Thanks," Sophia said.

"Anytime," Cyrus said. In a matter of moments, Sophia fell asleep. Stretching his arms up and giving a yawn, Cyrus also felt tired. "Well, I better get some rest, too. Talk about time going fast," the black teen replied as he got in his bed and turned on his side.

"Good night..." Fayt said. The blue-haired teen approached his bed and slept. This day was a hectic one for all of them. The only thing they could do was hope that things would get better tomorrow.

**Part 3.2: Welcome to the Helre**

Later in the twilight hours, Cyrus was still up. _"Oh man,"_ he thought. _"I can't believe I made it this far in one piece."_ The young shizznit glanced at the clock with a tired eye. _"Why does crazy stuff always happen around dusk? Anyway, first thing's first: Gotta make sure I find a pod and hope the thing takes me to Vanguard. 'Course, the odds like that are a hundred to one. I have a better chance playin' the lottery and winning enough money to become filthy rich and make a sex tape with Beyonce... But hey, that's just me."_ He then reached into his sweater and pulled out a gold medallion. The design was a dragon curled into a circle with a sword in the middle. It was his lucky pendant he received back in Northgate a couple years ago. He stared at his bling intently. _"I hope I make it out of this alive..."_

"Cyrus, are you awake?" whispered Fayt asked from his bed across the room.

Sliding his medallion back in his pocket, the teen sat up on his bed. "Sup, Fayt," Cyrus whispered back, hoping to not wake Sophia. "What are you doin' up?"

"I was just thinking… Do you think I'll see my parents again?"

"Fayt, home boy, believe me when I say you will," the shizznit replied confidently. "I bet you right now they're still alive and waiting to see you."

"Are you sure?"

"I got no doubts. You'll see 'em again."

"Thanks…" The two went back to sleep. For the next three hours, the room was filled with the sounds of snoring bodies. That was until the clock struck 3:52 A.M. As soon as its alarm went off both teen boys sat up. "W-what now!?" he yelled

Sophia started to wake up. "Fayt…" she started, still half asleep. "What's happening?"

"I think they're making an announcement," Fayt said.

"This is an update for all refugees," the announcer through the speakers began. The three looked up, paying attention to what was being heard. "We now know the recent raid on the resort planet Hyda was a surprise attack by Vendeen. Remote Station #7 mounted an attempt to defend Hyda IV, but it was thwarted by a tactical Vendeeni strike. Currently, the Pangalactic Administration is scrambling ships from surrounding regions, but Vendeeni forces still have control of this sector. We request that all civilians begin boarding rescue shuttles for immediate evacuation to Remote Station #6. Please do not panic. Refer to the nearest console or attendant for further instructions."

"So you're telling me we were attacked by space sharks!?" Cyrus cried. "Aren't they too busy with Aldian like the Federation? Or at least keepin' on the down low? Why would they start bustin' caps now?"

"Yeah…" Fayt said as he and Sophia stared at Cyrus in confusion. However, their bewilderment only lasted a minute as Fayt shook his head then turned to Sophia, "We're going to leave now, Sophia... Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm okay," Sophia said. "A little rest was all I needed."

"Hold on a bit longer. Once we reach Remote Station #6, we'll be out of danger."

"Okay."

"Alright! I get to ride on a ship!" Cyrus stated in excitement. "Haha! Look out galaxy, this brotha's 'bout to make a big splash in da Star Ocean! Can ya feel me!?"

"I guess this is going to be your first time on a spaceship, huh?" Sophia asked.

"Gyuh...!" Cyrus froze for a second. He knew it would sound weird if he said 'yes.' "Well... I mean this is the first time I was on a battleship, ya know?" the teen replied as he poked the ends of his fingers together. "I'm just a little hyped, that's all."

Fayt walked to a nearby console and asked, "Computer, can you give me the location of Robert and Ryoko Leingod?"

"The present location of the specified individuals is unknown," droned the computer's voice

"'Unknown'?" repeated a skeptic Fayt.

"Both Robert Leingod and Ryoko Leingod's positions were lost on Galactic Year 772-12141923."

"Lost!? What happened after that?"

"The information system is currently experiencing technical difficulties. Confirmation is not possible at present."

"What? Oh no!"

"So you're telling me they've disappeared in thin air?" Cyrus asked as he turned his MP3 Player to "Iron Galaxy" by Cannibal Ox. "That's just whack."

"Come on," Fayt said as he stepped away from the computer. "It's time for us to leave." Sophia and Cyrus nodded as the three left their quarters and went into the transporter room on the west side of the facility. After briefly having their molecular structures disintegrated, copied, and reintegrated (giving a Cyrus a 'funny feeling' in the process that would take a while to get used to), they found themselves on board a Federation transport ship.

Upon arrival, they were greeted by one of the staff that worked there. "Welcome to the Federation transport ship GFSS-12372 Helre," he said. "You must have been through a lot. We will soon be departing for Remote Station #6. The observation bay is located directly through the corridor leading out of this room. Please wait there until we reach our destination. Gravitic warp will get us there shortly."

The group left the room and were in the east bay of the ship. "So this is a Federation transport ship…" Fayt said.

"It not be the West Side..." Cyrus said. He then saw one of the female attendants walk by. Wearing a rather short skirt, thin stockings and a small shirt, the shizznit couldn't help but smirk. "But I ain't complaining."

The team moved down the hall and entered a room at the end of the passageway. Inside was a large group of people staring at the monitors above. "Hey, Fayt," Sophia said. "What are they all watching," Sophia said.

"I don't know…" Fayt said. "Maybe there's something on the monitor?"

"Let's go check it out," Cyrus said. The teenagers walked over to the monitor to see what all the commotion was about.

Just like the rest of the audience, the trio were stunned by what they say. "Oh no!" a shocked Fayt replied. "It's worse than I thought. This is horrible!"

"Argh..." Cyrus bit his thumb nail as he stared at the poor sight. "This is just wrong!" They were paralyzed in fear and horror at what Hyda IV had become. No more was it the beautiful vacation hotspot from the previous day. Now it was a large red orb of despair and countless lives lost under its flames. It was a disturbing sight to behold.

"We are about to enter gravitic warp to escape the battle zone," announced a crewman on the speakers. "I repeat: we are about to enter gravitic warp to escape the battle zone. All evacuees prepare for warp turbulence." The ship began changing its course. In seconds, the ship was travelled through sub-space, excelling over the speed of light. The burning Hyda IV now became a disturbing after image in the minds of the refugees.

**Part 3.3: Chaotic Course**

It has only been a day since Cyrus had arrived in the universe of Star Ocean. Already, he had a close call against a hostile attack, defeated a mob of enemy robots, and witnessed the destruction of an entire planet. It was an image etched into their memories. However, he knew that there were more challenges waiting down the road. After arriving in the ship's lounge, the three decided to catch up on the sleep they missed from their abrupt move. After an hour long rest, Fayt woke up, unintentionally awakening a slumbering Sophia, whose head rested on his shoulder. "Mmm… Fayt…?" Sophia began as she rubbed the dust from her eyes.

"Sophia," Fayt said. "Sorry that I woke you up."

"No, it's alright," the brunette said. "Do you know where we are?"

"No. There have been no announcements lately."

"I think we should ask one of the crew members. They might know."

"Good idea," Fayt said. He turned around and saw Cyrus lying on his back, snoring. "Cyrus," he called, but to no avail. He then gave a him a nudge, but still nothing. He then shouted, "Cyrus!"

"Holy Kelenken!" Cyrus replied in a startled tone as he jumped up. His head shifted in every direction, heart beating in a rapid pace.

"Sorry about that," Fayt apologized. At the same time, Sophia was trying to hold back her laugh. "You weren't really responding so…"

The black teen scowled at the blue-haired teen before giving a sigh. "Don't do that," he replied. "So what's the 4-1-1? Did I miss somethin'?"

"No. We were just going to talk to the crew members to find out where we are," Sophia explained. "Wanna come?"

"Sure. We may be safe on this ship, but it doesn't hurt to stick together, right?"

"Right," Fayt agreed.

The group left the lounge and went down a hall, Cyrus began listening to "Comprendes Mendes" by Control Machete. They went inside a room of the Helre that held a staircase leading to the command bridge. They found that a very peeved man was already conversing with one of the attendants who was guarding the flight of stairs. "Hey, you!" he shouted to the crew member. "What's the big idea, letting the Vendeeni forces get this far? Maybe it happened during nap time on Remote Station #7?"

"I'm sorry, but this particular incident is currently under investigation," the petty officer stated. "We have no further comments at this time."

"What are you trying to pull? Do you have any idea who I am!?"

"A fat dude who ate all the beef?" Cyrus said under breath. Sophia and Fayt snickered silently.

"No matter who you are, I cannot say anything more at this time," the officer replied. "Please, return to the lounge."

"Don't you play games with me!" hissed the large man. "Bah! Talking to you is a waste of time. Get me the captain! I want to speak with the captain!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that. As long as the captain is the commanding officer aboard this ship, his orders are absolute. My orders from the captain state that I am not to allow civilians to enter any area but the lounge, for any reason."

"What!? You blithering idiot! I'll remember you! I'll use my influence to get you canned the second I arrive on Remote Station #6!" the large man threatened.

"Be my guest," the officer goaded.

"Hmph! You'll regret this!" He turned around and was about to leave. However, his exit was currently blocked by the teen trio "Get out of my sight!"

"Oh shut up, ya busta!" Cyrus replied. Fayt and Sophia glanced at the younger teen rather shocked.

The older man was also surprised. But he recovered his composure and shouted, "What the hell did you just say?"

"You heard! You think you're the only person wit' issues? I got a newsflash for ya, Tinky Winky. There are others who are literally on the same boat. Everyone on this ship was on Hyda IV like you when the attack happened. My homie, Fayt, just got separated from his fam. What makes you any different from everyone else?"

"Listen, kid," the man said in a superior tone. "I demanded to know why these idiots allowed the Vendeeni to attack in the first place. I do not have time to have my affairs messed up like this. I could care less about whatever happened to everyone else, especially to your friend." It was at that moment, Fayt glared daggers at the man. However, the husky adult seemed to care less. He then started poking his index finger at Cyrus' chest "And the last thing I need is a stupid, poorly dressed child like yourself telling me sob stories." It was bad enough that he insulted the black teen. But when he continued poking him while belittling him, that was only asking for trouble. And Cyrus delivered. The next thing the man knew, his finger was being twisted back by the young shizznit, his body following the same direction as his digit. Sophia watched in shock, her hands covering her mouth. Fayt was also surprised (however, he did feel the self-centered man was getting what he deserved). After a minute, the man was freed, but his finger hurt like hell. "You just wait!" the man warned pointing his injured digit at the three before quickly pulling it back. "I'll take care of you once we reach to the station." With that said, the roundly-built man slunk away, holding his finger as he left the room.

"Cyrus!" Sophia said. "Why did you do that?"

"My bad," the shizznit said. "It's pricks like him that really get to me. They think they could throw their weight around just because of they're stature or wealth. It's all bull."

"Yeah, but do you think you went too far when you broke his finger?" Fayt asked, feeling a little sorry for the guy.

"Don't worry. I didn't do anything as serious as that?" After explaining himself, Cyrus decided to change the subject. "Anyway, let's start asking the guy up here 'bout where we are."

The three walked up the stairs and met up with the officer. "Hello," he said. "May I help you?"

"Yes," Sophia said. "Can you tell us how far it is to Remote Station #6?"

"Well, we're a third of the way there," the man said. "At our current speed, we should arrive in three and a half hours."

"Really?" Fayt said.

"Yes. Is there anything else you would like to know?" the crewman asked politely.

"Naw, we cool," Cyrus replied. With their question answered, the three teens left the room and backtracked their way to the lounge.

Meanwhile, in the control room, things seemed to be running smoothly. The sounds of commands were heard throughout the room. Captain of Transport Ship Helre was a tanned man by the title of Commodore Volga. "Navigator. Status report," he requested.

"Yes captain," replied a female member of the crew. "We were cruising at warp 15 on course 231, mark 330 when the gravitic warp field collapsed and the computer detected an anomaly, forcing us to return to conventional space."

"Computer, what causes the ship's warp field to collapse?" he asked in a curious fashion.

"…There is not enough data to determine the cause," the computer droned.

"All right." The Commodore was felt uneasy. "Even if you can't determine the cause, how about a theory?"

"Prior to the collapse, sensors detected a space-time disturbance. Our database does not contain any record of such a disturbance, but there is a 77 probability it was the cause of the collapse."

"Space-time disturbance? Come to think of it, Vendeeni military technology is based on space-time manipulation."

"That is not an established fact, but the Federation Institute of Technology has theorized this is the case."

"So, it was likely a Vendeeni attack that stopped us, then."

Suddenly, the navigator replied, "Screen, on!"

On their screen was a giant Vendeeni battleship, ready to attack. "Damn!" the captain replied. "Divert all power to shields! Evasion course 291, mark 030!"

"Course entered."

At the same time, Cyrus, Fayt, and Sophia saw the shield of the ship activate. It's diamond-like plates shimmered like the chain mail. _"Well, guess it's judgement day,"_ Cyrus thought.

"Fayt…" Sophia said rather scared.

"This is your Captain speaking." he announced. "Our ship is currently under attack by a Vendeeni battleship. Our gravitic warp engine has already been disabled, which means escape is not an option. All power has been diverted to our shields to buy us some time, but I wanted you all to know: our chances are slim. I had hoped to transport you all the way to Remote Station #6, but it seems that is now beyond my power. All evacuees are requested to proceed to the ship's escape pods. Please remain calm and follow the instructions of the attendant nearest you as you board your pod. …Good luck to you all."

"Shizznit!" Cyrus hissed as he stamped his foot. Suddenly, the ship was hit by a laser shot from the Vendeeni vessel. Sophia screamed and nearly fell, but Fayt caught her. With every hit the ship took, it rattled violently like a ragdoll.

"A direct hit!?" Fayt gasped.

"Shields down to 47 power!!" the navigator said, not knowing the speaker was still on.

"Did that answered your question?" Cyrus asked sarcastically.

"Let's get out of here!" the flirty girl from the beach said to her fox-tailed friend.

"Right behind you!" The two women ran out of the room, heading straight to the pod bay.

"Ohhh! We're doomed…" said an elder Roakian (a type of monkey-like alien).

"W-w-whoa…! What will become of me… Ohh…" a Blue Dolphin (an evolved dolphin) panicked while pacing around in fear.

It was long that an earnest crew member appeared near the door. "To the pods everyone, hurry!" he said. "They're located one level up in the hangar bay. Don't panic!"

"We gotta go, you guys," Fayt advised.

"Okay!" Sophia stated.

"Trust me, I'm one of those people that _don't_ wanna go out in a bang!" Cyrus said as he played "Starless Wavelets" from Star Ocean: Till the End of Time. The three went up stairs to the escape pods. When they arrived, they found out that a large mass of people had formed in front of the entry way. They left to see what was happening on deck.

"Hey you," one of the crewman on the console asked Cyrus. "Can you tell me what your blood type is?"

"Blood type, huh…?" Cyrus said with a cock-eye. "Pretty awkward question, don't ya think?"

"Yeah, I thought so," the man replied. "If you do want to…"

"Naw, it's cool…" Cyrus replied. He took a second to remember his type before giving the answer. "I think it's type A..."

"Type A, huh? I'm a B. This morning, my fortune said I was gonna have the worst luck today. It also said that you type A guys would have the best day of your life. Man, I really envy you."

"Okay…" Cyrus said still confused. After that, Fayt and company hurried to the captain, who was trying all he could to buy time for his passengers. It didn't take him long to notice the trio standing by him. "What!?" Commodore Volga replied. "Who are you three!? You civilians need to get to the escape pods immediately!"

"Tell me, is the situation that bad?" Fayt asked.

"Take a look for yourself," the Commodore replied in a serious tone. "The Helre, is currently under fire from that Vendeeni battleship. The attack delivered serious damage to our gravitic warp core. This vessel is now a time bomb. In a few minutes, this ship will explode because of the massive amounts of unstable energy generated by its gravitic warp engine. Now that you know our condition, you must leave this ship."

Fayt, Sophia, and Cyrus stood in shock "Hurry up!?" Fayt replied. "If you're issuing that order, then why aren't you and your crew evacuating?"

"This ship usually carries more than enough escape pods for all passengers. However, we are carrying passengers well in excess of this ship's maximum occupancy."

"What!? With that said, that means..."

"It was an emergency situation. No one is at fault here. If you all hurry, you can survive this!"

"Captain... Everyone..." It was admirable to see how these crewmen and its Captain would put down their lives on the line to save the innocent passengers, including the teen trio. They would fight to the bitter end to ensure the safety and survival for the refugees that were on board to give them a chance at life. Because of their compassion, Fayt, Cyrus, and Sophia gave the crew honorable salutes before leaving the bridge.

It wasn't long after that they found themselves with the Rossetti Troupe. "Didn't you guys hear!?" Peppita said to them. "Everyone's on board already. That means our turn is after your turn."

"Say what!?" Cyrus replied. "What do you mean 'after our turn'!?"

"You see, me and the rest of the troupe thought that you guys should leave first," Peppita explained. "That will give you a chance get out of here."

"But what your doin' is straight-up suicidal. There's a chance there won't be enough pods for you to use."

"It doesn't matter, Cyrus. Don't worry. We'll be just fine." There was a brief silence.

"Aight," Cyrus said. "We owe you one."

"You're welcome and good luck you guys!" Peppita replied as she waved while they ran down the hall.

"You three," called a crewman. The man led the three to the remaining escape pod. Inside it was rather quiet. Only five remained.

"Alright, Sophia," Fayt said after opening one for her. "Get in, quickly. Time's running out."

"Fayt… I'm scared," Sophia whimpered.

"Don't worry…" the blue-haired teen reassured.

"But…"

"A Federation ship will recover our pods in no time. I'll see you at Remote Station #6. Now get going."

"That's right. We'll all be back together in no time flat," Cyrus said.

"…O-okay. You'll follow, right? Promise?" Sophia said.

"Promise!" Fayt said.

"Cross my heart and hope to... Well, maybe not," Cyrus replied. "But you get what I'm sayin', right?"

Sophia entered the escape pod. After the hatch closed, Sophia turned to the two young men. In a few seconds, the brunette was jettisoned into space. "This way, you two!" replied the soldier. "There's still some pods here!"

"Right!" Fayt complied.

"Time to jet!" Cyrus said. After he entered his craft, the young shizznit was surrounded by buttons. _"Okay…"_ he thought. _"I may not be familiar with this technology, but I bet if I press these commands..."_ He pressed the buttons on the board which activated the controls.

"Activation complete…" the computer replied. "Ejection sequence in 10 seconds."

"Yes! Let's hope I don't get blown up before my grand exit." The passage way opened and the shuttle launched. The small shuttle was able to clear the Helre just before the transport ship exploded. The space around the incident was littered with escape pods. The Vendeeni ship started firing lasers everywhere. Suddenly, appearing out of no where, another ship appeared. Cyrus' escape pod zoomed past the vessels before warping out of sight.


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 4.1: Set Sail for Vangaurd**

In the escape pod, the head-strong shizznit turned quivering-little-kid, Cyrus Splicer contemplated about what he had went through. "Oh man, that was so pimp!" Cyrus said to himself while his MP3 player played "Touch the Sky" by Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco. "I can't believe I survived that deep space dogfish dogfight. I bet that Vendeeni assault frigate was the Dasvanu. Which means the kick-ass Federation flagship takin' it on was the Aquaelie."

"Distress signal operational," the computer specified.

"Great."

"Searching for life-supporting planets…" The computer began scanning for any hospitable world. After a few minutes, the computer relayed its results to the shizznit. "Planet found."

"Hmm... Already? What is it?"

"Vanguard III, located approximately 0.5 light years from present location," it described. "Axial tilt of 35 degrees results in extreme seasonal weather. Existence of humanoid life forms confirmed. The Federation has classified Vanguard III as an Underdeveloped Planet. Civilization level: approximately equivalent to 16th-century Earth."

"Vanguard!?" Cyrus said in amazement. "Sweet! Out of all the other planets I'd 've landed on, I am goin' to there! Does that also mean I'll really be facing Luther?" He the stopped cheering and realized there was a big problem. "Shizznit... I haven't gotten that far in the game yet."

"Would you like to review the Underdeveloped Planet Preservation Pact?" the computer asked.

"Sure. I ain't goin' anywhere," the young shizznit said nonchalantly. "But could I get some chips up in here? I haven't eaten in a while." On the dashboard on the right hand side, a bag of chips were replicated. Cyrus opened the large pack and began to gorge.

"The Underdeveloped Planet Preservation Pact was established in order to protect planets with developing civilizations. Contact with civilizations that have not reached a certain level of development is strictly prohibited by Federation law. This is due to the fact that contact with advanced civilizations has a high probability of greatly influencing the course of history on a less developed planet. All individuals and organizations belonging to the Pangalactic Federation are required to adhere to the tenets of this Pact, unless faced with a clear danger to life and limb. This Pact is one of the most important components of Pangalactic Federation law. It also serves as a guideline for civilization conduct in emergency situations. Violators will be tried by the Pangalactic Council."

"Okay. Sounds nice. Oh, and how 'bout scannin' for ships or pods in this vicinity."

"Scanning..."

"_If I'm correct, Fayt's pod should only be about a few miles from my current location. Course, there's a possibility something else is out here. I'm no space age mechanic, but something tells me it should be able to scan his life readings."_

"Search complete... One escape pod found."

"Well, here goes nothing. Open up a communication link." _"Man, I feel like the captain on Star Trek. Patrick Stewart gots nothin' on me now." _"Yo!" Cyrus replied. "This is Captain Cyrus of the Federation S.S.S. Winnipeg. And before you start asking why I added the extra 'S', it's 'cause we be some serious thugs up in here! So let me give you a little warnin'. Me and my crew be comin' in peace, 'ight? But if you be wantin' to throwdown, then you'll leave me no choice then to bring on the smackdown. So I suggest you check yo'self, ya heard me?"

"Cyrus, it's me," said a familiar voice.

"Huh!? Fayt!?," Cyrus said. On the screen above displayed the blue-haired teen who gave the black teen a confused glance. Cyrus gave a light chuckle. "Hey, cool. Well, home boy, isn't this unexpected."

"Tell me about it. What was that all about?" Fayt asked curiously.

"Well, you can't be too careful about who you run into," the young shizznit explained. "After all, Big Baby Bush be using scare tactics all the time. Why can't a brother like me do it once in a while?"

"You do know that pods like these have very little defense systems, right? If you did that to a fully-armed battleship like the one that attacked the Helre, well…"

"Okay, I get it!" Cyrus replied as he shook the image of him being blown up in deep space out of his mind. "So, you heard where we're goin'?"

"Vangaurd III. A planet within the Underdeveloped Planet Preservation Pact. Whatever we do, we have to be very careful not to interfere with whatever's going on down there."

"So tell me, what did the computer mean when it said, 'violators will be tried by the Pangalactic Council?' What's the punishment."

"Usually, it's about forty to one hundred twenty years in prison."

"Gyuuh…" Cyrus replied as he pulled the collar of the shirt under the sweater. "Talk about an open gap."

"Well, we better get some rest," Fayt said.

"Good call." After giving a large yawn, Cyrus continued saying, "After what just happened, I think I'll sleep for the next week." After closing communications, Cyrus laid on his side in his chair and slept. For the next week, he did nothing but sleep and eat and occasionally listen to music.

A full seven days passed before Cyrus reawaken from his slumber to hear the computer's droning voice. "Entering Vanguard III's gravitational field. Prepare for entry turbulence." Upon entering the atmosphere, the escape pods plummeted from the sky like comets. Their vessels soon crashed in the forest with tremendous force. After their hard landing, the two teens left their individual ship, feeling rejuvenated and relieved to be in the fresh air once more.

**Part 4.2: Just a Walk in the Forest**

"Here we go," Fayt said before leaping out onto the foreign land.

Looking up at the sky, Cyrus inhaled the world's oxygen. It was cleaner than their home planet Earth's and less stuffier than the escape pods, no doubt. "Ahh... this is great," Cyrus said in a relaxed manner. "Can't you just smell it. It kind of reminds you that Earth use to be like this: clean, lush and ready to be exploited– I mean explored."

"Yeah. Well, it will be a few days until we're rescued," Fayt said.

"True," Cyrus said. However, he knew that was far from the case for their materials will be stripped from their ships. So much for a Federation rescue. However, the shizznit knew he'd be interfering with the potential history if he revealed such delicate information. His existence in this dimension was already the first straw. Anymore little mishaps could spell complete disaster for this plain of existence. All he could do is grit his teeth and bare it. Fayt pulled out his quad scanner and pressed a few commands. In a few seconds, the device began making chirping sounds. "Hey, what's that?"

"There's something moving at around 40 clicks. It could be an animal." Fayt said. Just then, the bushes began to shake. Cyrus got into an attack position as Fayt did the same. Out from the dense forest was a small deer. The ungulate glanced at the new arrivals of the planet before grazing on the shrubs and grass.

"Oh crap!" replied a sarcastic Cyrus. "It's a doe, man! I've seen what these bitches can do!"

Fayt shook his head and walked over to his pod. "We should get some weapons in case we need to defend ourselves." The blue-haired teen opened up a control console on the side of his ship and began typing on its board. In a moment, a ball appeared behind him and materialized into a long sword. Fayt gave his newly created weapon a good swing and smiled with satisfaction.

Cyrus also went to his control module, ready to replicate a weapon for himself. _"Let's see…"_ he thought. _"Maybe I should go with a large shield."_ He pictured himself with his weapon of choice. It was good at deflecting shots and repelling hard attacks. However, he disregarded that decision as his mental self fell down because of the heavy plate. _"Maybe not as cool as it sounds. Hey, how 'bout I just go at it another way: the gangsta way. There's nothing like poppin' caps in some poor suckas' ass."_ The young shizznit pictured himself with a firearm, shooting swarms of enemies all around, using stylish gun-kata as seen on movies. He then pictured a gang of heavily armored knights racing toward him. He unloaded on the opposition, but his bullets only bounced off the armor and he was soon trampled by the foes. _"Yeah… I'm gonna pass,"_ he thought with a sour face. _"There are many ways to waste a guy and with many things. Unfortunately, the options with a firearm are rather limited. I'll just go with a sword."_ With his mind made up, the young shizznit entered the data on his console. Unlike Fayt's European two-handed sword, Cyrus' was a single-handed sword with a long blade and a bent grip, whose gap was closed by a knuckle guard. It was a nimcha, an African sword from the 17 Century. _"I should make two. Sometimes one just ain't enough."_ After creating another blade, the teen pulled the blades from the ground and twirled the swords in his hands. "Nice feel," he said.

"Are you done?" Fayt asked. "The sun's starting to set. We need to find somewhere safe by nightfall."

"You got any ideas?" Cyrus asked. "It's not like we know a place to crash."

Fayt checked his quad scanner, moving the device side to side. The device chirped once more. "I think I found something. I just need to expand the range…" After a little tweaking, Fayt found more human-like signatures on his machine. "There's a small number of humanoids to the northeast. It could be a town or village."

"Sounds cool," Cyrus said. "But what about that whole UP3 thing? Didn't you say they'd drop the hammer if they found us hookin' up with the peeps?"

"I know that, but this is an emergency. If we keep a low profile, they may go easy on us."

"I get ya. Then let's move." The two took the long trek through the Pesotto Forest, which was a dense maze of trees and shrubs. It's dirt paths were barely connected to each other, causing them to get lost every now and then. As the sun's orange glow began setting over the horizon, the two travelers began to get weary. After hiking for a few hours, the duo finally left the forest and found themselves in near the village's entrance. They staggered closer and closer. "Made it…finally!" a relieved, yet winded Fayt replied. "I can't believe how far it was... I thought it was closer…"

Cyrus slowly turned his head to the older teen. His eyes were opened halfway, but he was still able to deliver a glare. "What do you expect..." he asked. Without warning, Fayt's fainted, his body falling to the ground like a domino brick. "Hey, man," Cyrus said as he knelt over him and nudged at the young man. "Get up..." The black teen was about to stand back up before he slipped to the ground. _"Damn…"_ he thought as he gave in to his fatigue. The two laid on the ground unconscious. No will or strength to get up. They were completely drained of energy.

It wasn't long until a girl with bobbed hair appeared at the scene. She walked up to Fayt and said, "Hey! What's wrong, mister? You got a belly ache?" The girl heard no response or any movement whatsoever. "Oh no!" she replied. Worried, the girl hurried back to her village, calling, "Niklas! Niklaaas!!"

**Part 4.3: The Dream**

Slowly opening his eyes, Cyrus found himself deep in a strange realm. Sitting up and rubbing the temples of his head, he began to inspect this strange new environment. Everywhere he looked, it was a landscape that flowed red and black. "Where the hell am I?" he said. "This place... wasn't in the game..." Unable to do anything else, the black teen walked forward, scanning his surroundings.

It wasn't long until he came into contact with a familiar form. It was an old man around his late sixties. He had a white mustache and his hair was located at the back of his head. He had on a white gi and wore a pair of high sandals. "Ah, Cyrus," the man said. "You're look well."

"Master Diogo," Cyrus replied. He ran over and respectfully kneeled down. "It's an honor to see you once again. A little weird, but an honor nonetheless."

"It is good to see you, as well," the experienced master said. "I see you have a great many questions on your mind, my student."

"Yeah, you could say that. I mean, first off, where am I? Secondly, why have I been sent here in a universe that's pretty close to my game?"

"To answer your first question, this is your subconscious space."

"My subconscious? You mean we're in my head?"

"Indeed," Master Diogo answered. "As for your next question, a great evil is your reason for being here who thirsts for conquest and destruction. Its power was locked away for eons. If it isn't stopped, all will cease to exist." Cyrus stared at his master with a loss of words.

"Okay, pretty freaky..." Cyrus muttered to himself. "But hold up! By great evil, could you be speaking of Luther, master?"

"No, Cyrus," Master Diogo said. "This Luther you speak of is but a pawn on the chess mat."

"Okay. Then if Luther's only a tool and the two universes are pieces of a worktable, then who's behind the blueprints!?"

"That is a question that will reveal itself to you when the time is right. But do not fear... I leave you with these." Master Diogo chanted a powerful magic spell. Cyrus stood with a cock-eyed glance. He had never seen his master do such a thing (nor does he believe in spells and other things up that alley). Suddenly, two symbols began to glow on his shoulders. Needless to say, the black teen was a little surprised. "These symbols will help you on your journey. Within the runes contain powerful enchantments."

"Wait, you mean I've been given symbology?" replied Cyrus. "This is the shit!"

"Your powers consists of fire and of darkness. Use your gifts carefully, my student," Master Diogo said in a wisened tone. "As you become stronger, so too will your skills as well. Be sure not to forget your other strengths."

"You mean my skills in swordfighting and hand-to-hand? No sweat. I got that in the bag, master."

"That's a few, but you also have comrades..." Cyrus turned around and saw an image of Fayt, who was awake in a bed and talking to two children. "You are not alone, my student. He and the comrades joining you will have essential roles in this journey just as your will."

"I hear ya, master. Whoever's doing this won't succeed. The entire Time-Space Continuum is relying on me. I won't fail. Count on it!" Master Diogo smiled at his young pupil. It was hard to believe that the child he trained as a six year old was now trying to save existence. With his resolve in mind, Cyrus rushed off, ready to return to reality. However, he returned to his master not long after, scratching his head. "Yeah... You wouldn't pointin' to the exit, right?" he asked.

"Hohohoho…" guffawed Master Diogo. "You're one of my best students, yet you don't know where the doorway to his mind is." Cyrus droopped his head in embarrassment. "Over there," his instructor directed, pointing to the large blue rectangle with the word "Exit" in neon lights.

"Heh... Go figure." Cyrus ran through the door and found himself instantly awake. _"Where the... Oh, it was just a dream..." _Cyrus pulled up the sleeves of his shirt and was shocked by what he saw. Both of his shoulders were covered with tattoos just like the ones in the dream. _"Okay, so much for it being a dream. Guess that means OGC gots a job to do," _he thought.

"Aa--" Cyrus heard. He turned his head and saw a young girl wearing a green shirt larger than bigger than herself peeking around the doorway.

"Hey, kid," Cyrus said.

Holding a pitcher and a glass cup, the girl walked over to a desk next to his bed. "Here's a pitcher of cold water if you need it." After completing her task, the little girl left the room quickly. "Niklas!" she hollered.

"Oh, I see you're awake, too, sir," a young boy said as he walked into the room. "Are you alright?"

"I'm cool," Cyrus said. "So, you're the one who gave me a hand? I owe you big."

"Don't thank me. It was my sister, Meena, who begged me. After we brought Fayt here, we returned and I carried you back to our home."

"Still, thanks anyway. Sorry if I caused any trouble."

"Hey, it's okay." Said the little girl.

"I guess some intro is in order," Cyrus said. "I'm Cyrus."

"A pleasure to meet you," Niklas said. "I'm Niklas and this is my sister Meena."

"So, how's Fayt, anyway?"

"He'll be alright," Niklas replied. "He just needs to stay in bed. You, too, must reserve your strength. After all, the both of you did collapse from exhaustion."

"Well, I guess I should... And again, thanks." With "The Desolate Smell of Earth" from Star Ocean: Till the End of Time playing in his ear, Cyrus laid back in the soft bed and went to sleep.

**Part 4.4: The issue in Whipple**

The next morning, Cyrus rose out of bed and started stretching. It was then he was struck by pain from his right thigh. _"Argh... Great, right on my leg,"_ he thought._ "Guess it's cool if I don't run." _Cyrus looked around the room for his swords. However, they were nowhere in sight. _"Well duh. He must have hid my blades along with Fayt's. Hmm... Speaking of which, I wonder if blue's up?" _Slowly getting out of bed, Cyrus walked into the room across the hallway. In there, he saw a well rested Fayt standing next to the bed. His arm was wrapped in a bandage. "Hey!" Cyrus said.

"Cyrus, good to see you," Fayt replied.

"Likewise homes. You okay?"

"I'll be fine. Just have some shoulder pain. You?"

"A minor sprang, but still moving. So, did you find out anything?"

"Yeah. When we were talking, Niklas asked if I knew someone named Norton."

"Norton, huh? Sounds like a name for a snail a midget."

"What?"

"I mean... Never heard of him," Cyrus quickly replied. "Just a thought."

"Yeah... We should explore this place for a little. Maybe we'll find out more about this Norton guy."

"You're right." The two left the house and went outside. They tried to talk to the villagers, but the reactions they received were negative replies and threats. It would seem they were as welcome as Homer Simpson at an all-you-can-eat buffet (who could forget that episode? It's a classic). As Cyrus walked around, a large sign caught his attention. "What does this thing say?" he asked. He bent forward and read the message. "Norton's new commandments… and I thought Kanye West had a god complex. Let's see: Number 1: Though shalt never break my commandments. Number 2: Thou shalt bring me food and drink each month. Lastly, Number 3: He who discovers a mass of metal never seen before shall report to me immediately."

"Cyrus!" Fayt called as he approached the black shizznit. "Any luck?"

"You kiddin'?" Cyrus asked. "These guys are too pissed to chat."

"Same here. Whoever Norton is, he's got the village people scared." Fayt replied.

"Tell me about it. Just take a look at this."

Fayt turned to the sign and read it. He, too, thought it was nonsense. "What is this?"

"Jesus Cracks' three comandeerings. Don't blame everyone for being on edge," Cyrus said. After a minute of silence, an idea struck the young shizznit. "You know, I just remembered somethin'. We should ask the Village Chief. If anyone knows what's going down, you know he does."

"Okay, where's his house?"

"Over there," Cyrus said as he pointed to a large house at the corner of town.

"Let's go." They headed to the house of the village chieftain.

Inside the house, they saw an old man wandering around a table. "Ah... You must be our new arrivals, are you not?" the man asked.

"Yes. That's right, sir," Fayt said.

"Are you the big man here Whipple?" Cyrus asked.

"Big man?" the elder asked in a confused tone. "I am not that large, young man. However, if you are referring to my stature, I am the chief of this village."

"Could you please tell us what's going on?" Fayt asked.

"Of course. Recently, a sinister stranger has settled west of our village," the chief explained. "We do not know where he came from or why he is here. All we know is that he calls himself Norton. We have begged our lord to aide us in this time of need. However, he has refused to send his soldiers to a village that lies in such a remote region. Knowing our vulnerability, the stranger has capitalized and we have constantly been at his mercy ever since."

"Whoa, talk about a bad landlord," Cyrus replied.

"Indeed. It is because of this that the people of Whipple are so cautious around strangers. I apologize for their brusque actions, but you must understand our situation."

"I do," Fayt said. "Thank you, sir. Sorry we took any precious time."

"It is quite alright," the chief replied politely. "I can tell that you people are different from this ne'er-do-well." Fayt and Cyrus left the house and walked back to the residence of Meena and Niklas.

**Part 4.5: Meena's Music Box**

Inside the house Meena sat down in a chair and stared at a broken wooden box. It wasn't long until Cyrus and Fayt arrived and saw the young girl looking glum. "What's that?" Fayt asked.

"It's my treasure box!" Meena replied. "Daddy gave it to me on my birthday."

"Is that so?" Cyrus said. "Looks nice."

"That music box was an heirloom from our mother's side of the family," Niklas explained as he entered the room. "It is the only thing we have left to remember them. Sadly, it is broken now, and will not play anymore." After hearing this, Meena began to cry. Tears flowed down her cheek like Niagra Falls. "Meena…"

"I see… Can I have a look?" Fayt asked.

Meena began to quiet down, wiping the tears from her watery eyes. "Sure!" Meena answered as she handed the item to Fayt. Fayt examined the box carefully.

"Well, what seems to be the problem?" Cyrus asked.

"It's gear box is broken," Fayt said. The blue-haired teen closed the box and turned to the children. "This shouldn't be too hard. We can fix this for you if you want."

"We can?" Cyrus questioned. He then saw Fayt face him and glanced at the children. "Oh yeah… Sure we can," the black teen replied. "We'll have it back to working condition in no time."

"Can you really fix that?" Niklas asked. "It is an expensive music box that would cost a great deal to fix."

"All I need is my kit which isn't far from here," Fayt said.

"But we cannot ask you to do something like this!" Niklas protested.

"You saved our lives, little man," Cyrus said. "Think of it as a little thank you present."

"Still…"

"And besides, I'm sure that Meena wants it fixed, right?" Fayt asked.

At that moment, Meena smiled and gave a light giggle. "Thank you…good sirs," Niklas said.

"But before we go, do you mind giving our swords back?" Cyrus asked. "We can't get through the forest without them?"

Niklas folded his arms, deciding whether or not he should return their weapons to their owners. "You swear you are not with Norton or his gang?" the young boy asked.

"No we're not," Fayt said.. "Do you trust us?"

"Yes, I trust you."

"Cool," Cyrus said.

"But be wary. It's because you're not one of Norton's men that you're in more danger outside this village."

"Don't worry," Fayt said. "We'll be careful."

"That's right," Cyrus stated. "Whoever this Norton guy is, he's got nothin' on me." At that moment, Fayt cleared his throat. "Er… I meant us, man!" Niklas gave the swords back to Cyrus and Fayt. With their weapons in hand (and "One Blood Under W" from Wu-Tang Clan and Junior Reid booming in Cyrus' ear), the two left Whipple and headed back to their escape pods. Once they arrived to their crash site, the two swordsmen were welcomed by an ugly surprise.

"What the-!?" Fayt happened. "My pod's parts and equipment have been stripped!" Fayt shouted.

Cyrus turned to his vessel and saw nothing more than an empty shell of what it once was. "Damn!" he exclaimed. "Looks like the punks went for seconds, too!"

Fayt sat with his back against his damaged ship. "Maybe the parts were smashed by the inhabitants," he thought out loudly.

"Really?" Cyrus asked. "The only thing I see are empty ships. No broken parts in sight."

"Then what do you think happened?"

"Heard of chopshops?"

"Of what?"

Cyrus sighed. "Man, I thought you lived in New York." Fayt looked at Cyrus with confusion. "A chopshop is a business that specializes in stolen property, usually valuable parts from automobiles. What they do is carefully strip the items from the vehicle. Then they arrange the parts in vitality and worth. The more valuable the car or whatever, the more money they get from the parts."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Fayt asked. "These are high-tech vessels, not old cars. And who on this planet would want to buy parts that they don't know how to work?"

"Didn't you hear what I just said, homes? The guys that stripped our ships knew what they were doin'," Cyrus explained. "They only took parts that were worth stuff and left the rest for scrap. This is what an experienced dealer does. I'll bet you a million fol that someone from Norton's crew gave him the 411 on our rides."

Fayt sat quietly for a minute, contemplating on what to do next. After that short amount of time, the blue-haired teen said, "Well, there's no point in staying here. Time to return to Whipple."

The two left the forest with unsatisfied looks on their faces. After arriving at the town, the two returned to the house, welcomed by Meena and Niklas. "Fayt!! Cyrus!!" Meena called to the young travellers.

"Hello there!" Fayt greeted.

"'Sup, y'all," Cyrus replied.

"It's good to see you're safe!" Niklas said in a relieved tone. "Norton's gang were seen lurking around the forest in the same direction when you left. We were scared that something might have happened to you."

"Hmm... Guess we came back at the right time," Cyrus said with bent arms. He then turned back to Fayt and simply replied, "See?"

"Niklas… Could you tell me more about Norton and his group?" Fayt asked. "Who are they and what are they after?"

The room fell silent. The children seemed depressed. "I do not know everything myself. All I know is that it all happened about half a year ago when Norton appeared. When he entered our village, he ordered us to give him our food. Of course, we refused because those supplies were vital for our survival through winter. Norton was in fact spelling our demise… However, when the people resisted him, Norton called on a mysterious light. Anyone touched by it disappeared, one by one! Carl, Sirin, Kurt… All gone. Our father, who resisted until the very end, also vanished. We tried to tell our lord, but he dismissed our claims, thinking it was a mere story. Time went by and a few of the villagers have sought to join Norton's ranks."

"Hmm... After hearing that, can't blame you guys for being so hush-hush," Cyrus said.

"A mysterious light, that makes people disappear…?" Fayt questioned. For a moment, the blue-haired teen was in a train of thought. "Niklas…" he began. "When you first met us, you asked me about the shape of our ears and our clothes, right?"

"Ah, yes," Niklas said. "Norton wore similar clothes out of a strange material that was neither linen nor cotton. And his ears were shaped like yours… That is why I did not trust you at first and I apologize for that."

"Don't worry about it."

"Fayt's right," Cyrus said. "It was all a misunderstanding, that's all."

For a moment, Fayt was in deep thought. This Norton character made him feel more than a little uneasy. Especially with what the man was capable of. People vanishing in a flash of light with one touch… It sounded all too… familiar in a way. " Is there something the matter?" Niklas asked.

"It's nothing, I was just thinking…" Fayt replied. "I'm sorry, but it's going to take me a little longer to fix your music box."

"That's okay!" Meena replied.

"That thing Norton's men carried off, did it belong to you?" Niklas asked.

"No," Fayt answered. "I thought it did, but I was mistaken." He then turned to Meena and said, "Don't worry. I'll have your music box fixed in no time." Now it was Cyrus' turn to clear his throat. "I mean 'we' will fix it in no time."

"Thank you, Fayt," Meena said. The little girl then turned to her brother, crying, "Niklas, I'm hungry! Let's eat!"

"Ah yes…" Niklas said. "Very well, let us eat." Dinner was rather quiet and harmonious. In spite of all that may have happened, from acknowledging being victims of theft to drudging up old wounds, it was good to have at least a small period of peace. After finishing dinner and helping Niklas clean the dishes, Cyrus went back bed.

For the first few minutes, he stared up at the ceiling, lost in his thoughts. _"Tomorrow's my first boss battle. I'm so amped,"_ he thought. _"But I wonder, will I be able to walk from this?"_ The young shizznit turned on his side. _"Alright, OGC, stop this. You've been trained in ass-whoopin' since you were a kid. This ain't the time for doubt. The fate of the universe rests in your hands."_ After he contemplated, Cyrus closed his eyes and went to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 5.1: The Search for Niklas**

"Cyrus... Cyrus, wake up!" a voice called Cyrus, shaking his slumbering body in the process.

In time, the young shizznit's eyes slowly opened. After sitting up, Cyrus yawned as he stretched his arms. "Mornin', Fayt." he said. "What's goin' on?"

"Cyrus, do you know where Niklas is?" Fayt asked with a hint of urgency in his voice. "Have you seen him?"

"Dude, I've been asleep since last night. You just woke me up right now," the black shizznit said, still groggy from his abrupt awakening. "How would I know?"

"I'm sorry, but it's just that he's gone. I can't shake the feeling that he might be-"

"Looking for the pod parts?" Cyrus replied, interrupting Fayt in mid-sentence.

Fayt stared at the half-asleep teen for a moment before saying, "Maybe, but where?"

"Let's ask around," Cyrus suggested. He pulled the covers off his body and stood up. "Maybe someone knows which direction he left in."

"Please find Niklas," Meena said as she walked into the room. "I don't want to be by myself… And I hope he didn't disappear like father."

"Don't worry," comforted Fayt. Walking over to the young girl, he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "We'll bring him back soon. Isn't that right, Cyrus?"

The younger teen kicked out of bed and acknowledged his blue-haired friend. "Word," he said confidently. "We'll get your bro back faster than the Flash running cross-country while on fire." With their swords in their possession, the two left the house and asked anyone they could find (or at the very least cooperative) about the whereabouts of their young friend. The villagers, though still suspicious of Fayt and Cyrus motives, were somewhat helpful (at least more than they were on the previous day). After extracting the information needed, the two swordsman rendezvoused at the town's entrance. "Any news?" Cyrus asked.

"A few people said they saw Niklas leave the town and head for the Ruins of Coffir."

"So the little guy did go for our parts after all," Cyrus said. "Those ruins must be where Norton and his home boys be chillin' at."

"Okay, we'd better hurry!" Fayt replied.

"Alright. All we have to do is follow a little dirt trail that goes northwest." Cyrus informed. The two left Whipple and took the dirt trail to the north. It took a few minutes, but they finally arrived at the Ruins of Coffir. A large area built on a fertile field and nearby river, it was filled with ancient buildings and moss-covered stone bridges that once belonged to the noblemen of old. Now it's a land where a control freak and his cronies roam. "Okay, now which way do we go?" Cyrus asked as the two took in the scenery.

"Let's go this way," Fayt said, referring to a northern path. The two ventured through the facility. The place was swarming with weak monsters and a few of Norton's low-ranking lackeys. With such opponents, the swordsmen used them as training dummies to help sharpen their skills. While searching for Niklas, Cyrus noticed numbers on the walls. He remembered that they were the passwords for Norton's computer. It took the two half of the day to cover the ruins, but they managed to find the establishment that Norton took residence in. It was a large crypt far north from the entrance. This may have been the manor the earlier nobles used to dwell in. Now it was a large building that has fallen in disrepair. "Alright. It seems that we found his lair," Fayt said.

Cyrus walked to the front door and tried to open it, but to no avail. "Great, it's locked up," Cyrus said. "I can't get it to budge."

"Let's try the back," Fayt replied. "Maybe there's another way in from there."

Cyrus nodded in compliance. Both swordsmen walked behind the building by taking the left route. By the time they arrived, they were greeted by three of Lord Norton's cronies. "Who are you, kiddies? Whatdya want?" asked one of the underlings in a sinister tone. "This here's Lord Norton's turf, so beat it, or else!" said the underling.

"Or else what, son!" Cyrus hissed. As the shizznit was about to approach, Fayt put his hand in the younger teen's way.

"We're not here to fight," Fayt said in a diplomatic tone. "We're looking around to see if there was a little boy that came here. Have you seen him?"

"Yeah, he's been gone since this morning and we think that he went here." Cyrus said.

"A little boy, eh?" The underling put his hand on his forehead as if he were thinking. He then smirked once more before saying, "You mean Niklas? Yeah, he was here. The little brat came 'round here blabbin' 'bout wantin' somethin' back, and seein' Lord Norton."

"What did you guys do?" Fayt asked.

"Being the kind-hearted fellas we are, we gave the stupid kid his wish. As we speak, Lord Norton's givin' the little brat a little re-education."

"What!?" gasped Fayt.

"Damn!" hissed Cyrus. "Looks like we got here a little late!"

"It's the kid's own fault. Nothing good can come from messin' with Lord Norton," the underling said. "But don't worry, he'll learn it's better to be with us than against us! I guess what they say is true: the apple really doesn't fall far from the tree. He's as much of an idiot as the rest of the family."

"You rotten little…!" Fayt said as he started to charge at him.

However, the blue-haired teen was stopped in his tracks as the underling brandished his dagger. "Whoa there, I think I just said ya can't pass through here?" the underling replied in a playful warning tone. "If you want to see the brat, then you need to go through us first!"

"Is that a challenge?" Cyrus asked as he pulled out one of his swords and aimed the point to the leader. "Man, you punk-asses really is trippin'!"

"Hey boys," the lead underling said. His two comrades came forward, running their fingers along their daggers' blades. "It looks like we got two village idiots needin' some education! What do you say we start our lesson."

"You're gonna be the teachers? Shame." Cyrus scoffed. "'Cause you guys are the one's getting ready to be schooled." The battle started as Fayt and Cyrus charged at the three henchmen with their swords. The blue-haired swordsman collided into the leader (Buster) with incredible force. However, Fayt's attacked was blocked by the enemy's long dagger.

Cyrus hurried to join his comrade, but he was intercepted by the other two foes (Makafy and Tepeki). The bullies chortled as they blared their long daggers at the shizznit. "We'll take care of you first," Tepeki said. "Then we're goin' to kill that other guy."

"That's right," replied Makafy. "So why don't you start begging like a good little kid and maybe we'll spare ya."

"Ha! You're thinking cause it's two-on-one, you fools gots the drop on me," Cyrus said. He turned his device on to "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing ta Fuck Wit" by the Wu-Tang Clan. "Please. I don't even need both blades to smack you chumps." The two henchmen lunged at Cyrus, slashing and thrusting their weapons. Using his blade and speed, the black teenager blocked and sidestepped the attacks. In retaliation, Cyrus slashed at the two, who quickly leapt away. He then targeted Makafy, charging at him and delivering a punch to his face. The enemy staggered back from the blow and landed on his back, holding his face in pain.

From behind, Tepeki rushed at Cyrus, swinging his blade at the shizznit. However, the underling's attacks were futile, relying more on strength than accuracy and the black teen easily dodged. He then kneed him in the gut and slashed with a spin attack, sending the foe back. "That's how we do it in my hood, bitch!" Cyrus hollered.

Suddenly, the teen found himself restrained by the arms. It was Makaky, who had a bloodied nose. Thinking quickly, the shizznit jumped up and then used his momentum to pull the bully forward. Makafy instantly bounced back from the counter and landed on the ground. He tried to picking himself up, but Cyrus grabbed him by the shoulders. "You gone done it now!" he replied in a singing voice. "It's time fo' the Rocksteady!" With fast movements, Cyrus punched him in his face, then his kidney before delivering a roundhouse kick. He then broke into a six-step before using a swipe (where he kicked him under the jaw after his feet rose up). Makafy was tossed into the air before landing hard on his back. Finishing him off, Cyrus leapt into the air and landed with both legs in the enemy's stomach. He leaped off his unlucky opponent, the shizznit turned his attention to Fayt.

His opponent, Buster, was suffering from fatigue and was incredibly weak. The henchman was so tired, he could hardly hold his dagger in his hand. After striking the foe with his sword, Fayt finished him off with Blade of Fury. He struck with an upperhand slash at the enemy which created a powerful shockwave, before slicing downward which released another. He then completed the attack with a powerful thrust forward that fired the a beam of light. Buster yelled in anguish as he suffered at the hands of defeat. The battle was over and Fayt returned his sword to its scabbard. Cyrus planted his sword into the ground and leaned on it. "Reminds me of school," he said in nostalgically before stabbing his blade in the ground just inches from Makafy's face. The fallen enemy fainted from the shock of nearly being skewered. _"What's up with him?"_ the shizznit asked himself.

"Niklas is locked up in there," Fayt said. Both warriors turned to the crypt's door. "We need to find him and fast."

"You're right," Cyrus said. Fayt was first to enter the building. Cyrus was also about to enter, but stopped and turned to Buster and his cohorts "Hey, I guess school's over," the black teen gloated. "Guess beating your sad asses meant graduated!"

**Part 5.2: The Lair of Lord Norton**

The hideout, or previously, the main mansion of the ancient noblemen: In its glory, it must have been a sight to behold. Filled with treasures and the stuck up aristocrats that used to rule the area. Now it is nothing more than a crypt with craggy stone walls covered in moss and cobwebs. Only its basement remains in relatively better condition than the house above it. The first room was filled with loads of crates and barrels. Perhaps they contained ancient treasures? Or perhaps they're simply empty boxes of wood. Cyrus and Fayt had no time to be archaeologists. Their only quest at the moment was to find Niklas. They left the storage area and went to a two-way hall. On the right side of the passage, something bright caught the Cyrus' eye. "Hey, there's something bright over there," he said.

"Let's check it out," Fayt suggested. The two took the chosen route. After the two entered the room, they were in awe at what they found. It was the stolen technology from their pods: their replicators, their computers, every piece of equipment from their ships were running in the room. It was clear that they were in Norton's den. "I knew it…" Fayt said. "This Norton guy really is an offworlder." Fayt said.

"Maybe he's in the same boat as us," Cyrus said. He looked around the room, somewhat marveled by how a prick like Norton could set a place like this up. In a few minutes, he spotted a computer at the corner of the room. He sat down on a seat and called over Fayt. "Hey, Fayt! Check this out!" he shouts.

Fayt walked over to the computer and checked the screen. "It looks like it needs a password. It's asking for a three-digit number."

Suddenly, there was a loud beap coming from the machine. A message came up on its screen. "Welcome to the Password Entry Screen!" it read. "I'm your guide, Boss Norton, so you'd better be thankful! I mean it! You enter the password here, but remember, you only get three chances! If you make three mistakes, then you're through! I'll kick you outta here! So you better be ready! But hey, I'm feeling generous today, so I'll give you a little hint! The secret numbers are located somewhere in these ruins! Just type those in! Even an idiot like you should be able to do that. So come on, enter the password!"

"Gee, a real charity case," Cyrus said cynically.

"Now we have to go back out and look for the numbers that can be anywhere!?" Fayt yelled. "There's no time for that!"

"Patience, homes," Cyrus said. "While we were walking, I saw the numbers. I remember exactly what they are. Just sit back and chill while yo' boy works his magic." Cyrus typed the numbers "2-5-6" on the keyboard. It wasn't long until a loud click was heard from the hall. "See, told you."

"Good work. I think I heard a door open somewhere." The swordsmen went straight through the hall to a large door. The duo opened it and found themselves in the dungeon. In the room, Fayt and Cyrus ran to one of the cells where a small figure was being held captive. Lying on the ground was none other than Niklas. His body was bruised and weak. Fayt started shaking the bars, trying to get Niklas' attention. "Niklas!" he shouted in concern "You okay!?"

"Get up, man!"

Niklas' head slowly rose. He was half-awake, fatigue was getting to him. "Fayt… Cyrus…" he began. "You two came here. But why?"

"That's what I want to ask you!" Fayt exclaimed. "You shouldn't have ran off like that!"

"The music box parts…I wanted to get them back, but I…I could not ask you to do such a thing for us."

"But that's nuts!" Cyrus replied. "You risked yourself just to get parts!?"

"It's too dangerous here!" Niklas said. "You…must leave, quickly! He'll…get you… too."

"Niklas? Hang in there, Niklas!" Fayt yelled as he banged on the bars.

"Must leave…" Niklas says after his head slammed to the ground.

"This is bad… What are we going to do …"

"I don't know!?" Cyrus replied as he struck his blade at the cell bars. "We can't cut through the bars with our swords. They're too thick."

"It think I have an idea. I could short the battery in my communicator, or—Wait."

"What's wrong, man?"

"If I lose my communicator, we might be stuck here." There was a short pause between the two of them.

However, the silence was broken by Niklas who faintly called, "Meena…"

"Looks like we don't have a choice in the matter, Fayt?" Cyrus said.

"You're right," Fayt agreed. "Hold on, Niklas, We'll get you out!" Fayt attached his communicator and we wired its circuits. He signaled to Cyrus to get out of the way of the door. It was until the door exploded open from the blast of the short-circuited equipment. Fayt and Cyrus rushed into the cell. "Hang in there, Niklas!" Fayt called as he grabbed a hold of the boy.

"You think he's okay, man?" a concerned Cyrus asked.

"He doesn't seem too badly hurt…"

"Whew… that's cool." Niklas tried to respond, but his speech was not understandable. This took the two by surprise.

"Oh yeah," Fayt remembered. "I forgot the communicator also had a translator built inside."

"Great..." Cyrus said as he shook his head. "Guess it don't matter. Let's bounce!" Fayt got up and carried Niklas in his arms. Accompanied by the Cyrus, the two left the cell.

They started moving until they were surprised by a loud voice shouting, "Freeze!!" Fayt carefully placed Niklas down on the ground. Just as he left the cell, a laser shot just passed him and destroy a few crates behind him. "No funny moves if you wanna live," the same voice warned. "Maybe if you play nice, I might let you stay alive a while longer."

"That shot came from a phase gun," Fayt replied. He then glared at the figure holding the firearm. "So that means you're Norton."

"Yeah, that's me. I am Lord Norton!" the enemy said. He was a tall figure with a black long coat and short, spiky blonde hair. His eyes were glazed over, as if he were in a trance. "Ah, I gotta say it's nice to hear genuine Terran. Seems like ages."

"What's your business here?" asked Fayt. "Where did you really come from?"

"I'm from Rezerb, boy. We're not part of the Federation."

"Rezerb…" Cyrus replied as he tried to remember where he heard that name. "The planet of leeches? I've heard of it… The place is a mix of Communist China's strict government with a touch of the Bay Area during the Hyphy movement with more nuts than a Planters can."

"So what are you doing here?" Fayt asked. "You know this is an underdeveloped planet!"

"Not much to tell… I …was involved in this… freak accident, you see that was a bit much for that world. Anyway, I was arrested, then sentenced for life in exile on a desert planet."

"If that's the case, how did you get-!?" before Cyrus could asked, a shot from the Rezerbian's phase gun hit the floor near the black teen's feet.

"Don't you know it's rude to interrupt? Besides, I was just getting to that." Cyrus snarled as the man continued his story. "As I was saying… The escort ship that I was on had some engine failure and ended up crash landing here." Norton then gave a light chuckle. "Can ya believe it? All I had to do was mess up their engine codes. But, the stupid pilots ended up frying them! Ohhh, man! All I was trying to do was create a distraction so I could make my escape. But instead… this planet's become my prison instead. Talk about luck."

"And what about everyone else, Norton!?" Fayt asked.

"Huhhh?" Norton fired a warning shot, nearly missing the blue-haired teen's head. "That's 'Lord Norton' to you!" he snarled. "Don't forget it!"

"Well there had to be some more cons," Cyrus said.

"Oh, there were, but the poor fools are dead. They tried sending a distress signal, but a bolt of lighting smote 'em where they stood. Bam!" Norton gloated. "It was rather tragic, really."

"Yeah, I'm sure you were really sympathetic," Cyrus replied.

"I shed a tear for each one of them. After all, the crash was unfortunate. But no need crying over spilt milk… I've been devoting myself to making this planet my kingdom. Planet Nortonia: has a nice ring to it, eh?"

"So that's why you've been raiding Whipple!?"

"Yeah, something like that. You're a pretty smart kid. That's why I've been raiding the village, and that's why you two gotta die. Sorry! On the bright side, I've been putting those parts I stripped from yer escape pods to good use." Norton started readying his gun.

"You're a punk ass, Norton," Cyrus said. "You know that?"

"What did you call me!?" Norton replied as he aimed his weapon at Cyrus' head.

However, before he could pull the trigger, a blue light lit the room. Cyrus and Norton turned their attention to Fayt, who's head was emanating the mysterious glow. "It's guys like you…" Fayt said.

"Huh? What the!?" Norton said in surprise.

Cyrus was also amazed by the display of Fayt's power. However, he didn't notice the symbological markings on his shoulders were glowing red. _"Whoa!"_ he thought._ "Fayt's abilities are going crazy! I can feel his power like an overgrown candle."_

"Ah, there you are," another voice replied. The two teens and the convict turned their attention to the entrance. Standing at the doorway was a masculine-built man with blonde hair wearing jet black stretch clothes and gauntlets. Wrapped around his neck were three green rings. "I thought I lost you when your distress signal went out. Might never have found you if it weren't for those explosions."

"What do you want?" Norton replied. It was clear that these surprising developments were getting to him. "You're not one of them Federation guys, are ya?"

"Me? A Federation soldier?" the man asked. "Yeah, right. That's a good one!"

"Well then, who the hell are ya?"

"Cliff Fittir—a Klausian and member of Quark."

"A K-Klausian!?" Norton said in a choked up tone.

"Sorry, no time to explain. I'm kinda in a hurry. Just lemme have Fayt, that Earthling boy over there and I'll be on my way. I don't plan on butting into whatever ya got going on over here."

"Hold up!" Cyrus replied. "You're gonna take me, too!? Right?"

"Don't worry, Cyrus. I wouldn't forget you," Cliff said.

"Hey, how do you know our names!?" Fayt asked.

"Let's not sweat the details. Suffice it to say, you two are my men."

"Cool. Let's beat it," Cyrus said.

"Hold it right there, or I'll blast ya!!!" Norton yelled.

"Huh? You talking to me?" Cliff asked in a calm manner.__

"You think you can fool me?" replied the convict in a rather smug tone. "There's no way a Klausian would come all the way out here! You're probably some sorta spy. It's so obvious! Har har har! Too bad I saw through your plan!"_  
_

_"Oh man," _Cyrus thought with a plain face._ "This fool doesn't know when to take a hint!?"_

"Look, since I'm such a nice guy, I'll fill you in on a little secret," Cliff said in a generous tone. "That gun you have there has no effect on us Klausians. Bet you didn't know that?"

"Shut yer piehole!" Norton shouted. He fired his weapon at Cliff, but the shots missed. Cliff was so fast, that he dodged the bullets and found himself face to face with the Rezerbian.

"All right. I'm done lecturing—Time to teach you lesson!"

Cyrus and Fayt unsheathed their swords. Ready to battle, Cyrus turned his MP3 player to "Shrouding Dark Cloud" from Kingdom Hearts. "Alright! Let's get it on!" he shouted. Norton quickly backed away from Cliff. The Rezerbian aimed his weapon at Fayt, ready to fire, but Cyrus and his swords collide with the gunner, knocking him to the ground. Just as he picked himself up, he was greeted by a slash from Fayt's sword, then by Cliff's martial arts kicks and punches. Norton was overwhelmed. The joint attacks from the trio were strong and were slowly weakening the enemy. However, that was until a barrage of laser fire by Norton's Shooting Spree knocked the swordsmen back. Cliff managed to evade the shots.

Norton laugh maniacally as he stood over Fayt and Cyrus. "Take that, you fools!" he shouted in triumph. "You thought you could stop me!? Hah!" The two laid weakened by the barrage of laser fire. Norton pointed his phase gun at the teenagers. "Let's see who I should waste first," he said as he switched from one target's face to the other.

"Hey!" Cliff's voice replied. "I say you're one guy short of a victory dance." Norton slowly moved his head toward where the voice came from. Sweet poured down his profusely. What he saw was a determined-eyed Cliff charging for him, ready to deliver the finishing blow.

"Oh no you don't!" Norton said with the pointed laser. Cyrus picked his head off the ground to watch the action.

"Oh yes I will!" Cliff quickly ran at the enemy. With speed rivaling that of a Olympic track runner, he delivered a powerful haymaker punch straight at the foe's face. Norton's body spun in the air like a corkscrew before crashing to the floor.

"No.. This is my.. kingdom. I made this kingdom," went Norton's final words before he met his demise. Fayt and Cyrus slowly rose to their feet, staring in awe at the Klausian's impressive performance. The battle was over.

"Looks like I overdid it," Cliff said to himself as he scratched his head. "Guess I shoulda held back a bit."

"_Now that's what I call a raw unadulterated ass-kickin'!"_ thought Cyrus._ "If he was in my time and was in the underground fighting circuit, he'd 've been revered as a god! Hell he just made Superman look like a pushover!"_

"This is about the only thing that still works," Cliff began as he pulled a device out of his pocket. "The rest is ruined. …Here." He tossed the item to the blue-haired teen.

"Is this …my communicator?" Fayt asked.

"Can't live without it! Don't know why you don't have one."

"Well, it's kinda a long and complicated story, ya know?" Cyrus said.

"Ahh… Umm… Thanks for getting us out of that jam," Fayt said. "You saved our lives."

"Whoa there, guys," Cliff said. "Don't go showing me your gratitude just yet. See, I've come to abduct you."

"Abduct us!? You can't be serious!" Fayt exclaimed.

"Great. We were saved from a gun-trotting leech by our kidnapper," Cyrus said hid his face in shadow of his hat. "Ain't this a bitch. Next thing you know, there's gonna be a pyromaniac for a firefighter?"

"Now don't get all worked up…" Cliff said to the two of them. "I'm not going to hurt anyone. It's just that the boss wants to meet you two. That's why I went through all the trouble to find you guys."

"Wait… You can't possibly mean Quark's boss?"

"I understand why she would want to see Fayt," Cyrus thought. "But why would she want to see me!?"

"That's right. Our leader wants to have a word with you two. But trying to get you guys was no picnic. I first went to Hyda and ran into that mess, thanks to you guys. Then, I get here and find you poking your noses where it don't belong…"

"You make it sound like it was our fault Hyda got attacked, geez," Fayt yelped defensively.

"Yeah. Or that it's a-okay we let some crackpot con run this planet," Cyrus added.

Cliff grew silent for a moment, but quickly regained his composure. "… I was kidding, don't take it so personally. At any rate, I got you now. And since I rescue you, there's no point in complaining. 'Sides, you wanna see your old man, don't you?"

"Wait! You know where my dad is?" Fayt asked.

"Yep. He's been captured by the Vendeeni."

"Captured? But why!?"

"No clue. All I know is that your old man was abducted from the Evacuation Facility on Hyda."

"Then we're gonna be real busy," Cyrus said. "I could feel it."

"What about my mother…and Sophia!?" Fayt asked.

"Yeah, what about those two? Are they alright?"

"Well, we know your mom's safe," Cliff said. "She should've already arrived at Remote Station #6 by now. I don't have any idea about the girl. I've had a full plate just tracking down your escape pods."

"So how's it you know all this, G? What else you be holdin' in your hand?"

"Not much else…sorry." Fayt sighed. "Oh yeah, I do know what your pops Dr. Leingod, was studying."

"You mean symbological genetics?" Fayt replied. "My dad's the leading authority on that field. Everyone's heard of him."

"Right, symbological genetics. And 19 years ago… Ah, forget it," Cliff replied as if he couldn't divulge in that information. "That doesn't matter right now."

"Sure it don't," Cyrus said with folded arms. "It's just a loose end we're not supposed to hear about."

"Anyway, let's get out of here! It's not like you have another ship coming, right?" Fayt stood gathering the information given. The situation with those closest to him, the secret that Cliff isn't telling him. It made him feel uneasy. Then again, there options were limit between violating the UP3 or going with a person that saved them just to capture them. "Look, I'm sure things will become clearer if you just come with me. Besides, you'll be able to see yer dad again."

"But you said the Vendeen have him," Fayt replied. "How could I possibly see him?"

"Simple! Quark'll go rescue your old man, too."

"Alright, sounds like fun," Cyrus said. "I'm down."

"Why would an anti-Federation group want to help my father?" Fayt asked with suspicion.

"Well… it's sorta complicated, but let's not get into that at the moment. So, are you coming or not?"

Fayt thought about the proposition. However, his pondering was cut short by Cyrus' comment. "Hey, I wanna go," he said to Cliff. "Being on a 16th Century planet for a few days is nice, but I don't have any plans on making this my permanent address, know what I'm sayin'!?" The black teen the turned to Fayt and said, "We might as well go for broke and join the Klausian. Like he said, there's no way another ship will get here."

"Fine…" Fayt said an agreement (albeit reluctantly). He then turned his attention to Cliff. "But before we leave, we need to make a quick stop at Whipple. I want to make sure the boy gets back there safely," Fayt said. "After all, there's a little girl worried about whether or not she will see her brother again. I want her mind to be at ease."

"Knock yourself out," Cliff said. "I still say you shouldn't have gotten involved…"

Fayt, Cyrus and Cliff left the dungeon. However, before they could leave the hall, Fayt turned his attention to Norton's lab. "Cyrus, hold Niklas for me," he said as he handed the boy to the shizznit.

"'Ey, I thought we was gonna jet, man?"

"It's for a promise I'm trying to keep."

"A promise…" Cyrus then remembered what Fayt was talking about. He quickly followed the blue-haired teen back to Norton's Lab. Cliff not far behind.

"Don't worry, Niklas. I won't let your efforts go to waste," Fayt said as he retrieved the parts to the music box.

"Ya gotta to admit, this little guy got guts," Cyrus said. "I'll give him that."

"You done?" Cliff said just before setting a bomb on Norton's computer. "We should be leaving now."

"Why is that?"

"Because I set the computer to self-destruct. In a few minutes, this place will be rubble."

"With that said, let's fade." The group ran out of the hideout quickly. As soon as they left, a loud boom rang throughout the basement as the entrance of the establishment caved in. Norton and his reign of terror had come to an end and all traces of his existence and technology was destroyed. The trio stood at the front of the mansion as they watched the smoke rising from the back of the abode.

"There," Cliff said with satisfaction. "Everything's finally back to normal, huh?"

"You're wrong," Fayt said. "It's far from it. Niklas' and Meena's parents and friends are gone forever. Nothing will ever be the same." While Cliff threw his arms up in a confused manner, Fayt and Cyrus had already started their leave.


	6. Chapter 6

**Part 6.1: Klausians, Chaos, and a Collision Course**

It was the middle of the afternoon on the planet Vanguard III as Cyrus, Fayt, Niklas and Cliff returned to Pesotto Forest. Everyone managed to survive their encounter with the power-hungry Norton back in the Ruins of Coffir. Niklas, who was still unconscious from the experience, was carried by Cyrus as Fayt held the precious tools needed for Meena's music box. The team soon returned to the town entrance of Whipple. "After you take care of your business, meet me back here," Cliff said.

"Okay," Fayt complied.

"Don't keep me waiting too long, kids!"

"Got it," Cyrus said. The two teens entered the village while Cliff waited patiently near the bushes. Many of the townsfolk were gathered at Meena's house, trying to comfort the young girl. They then noticed Cyrus and Fayt approach with Niklas in hand. Meena ran over to them, hollering, "Niklas! Niklaaas!!!" Fayt laid the boy down on the ground. "I don't care about the music box!" she replied. "I just care about my brother! Niklas…" she cried.

"Don't worry, your brother's only asleep," Fayt assured. "He wouldn't leave you alone, Meena."

"Really?"

"For real," Cyrus said. "It's all good." A few minutes later, Niklas laid sleeping in the bed previously used by Fayt to heal from his ordeal. Meena rested her head on the bed as he recovered. It wasn't long until Fayt finished fixing the music box. Its soft, sweet melody filled the household. Fayt left the establishment of the sibling and met up with Cyrus, who was waiting at the doorsteps. "Well?" Cyrus asked.

"We're finished here. Let's go," Fayt said.

"Not just yet, home boy," Cyrus said. "See, I promised the chief that we were going to visit him before we leave."

"Are you sure, Cyrus? What about Cliff."

"I'm sure we have a few minutes to spare, G. 'Sides, the head honcho said he had something to express his thanks."

"Alright, but then we get out of here."

"Oh fo' sho."

The two headed to the old chief's house. Halfway there, they overheard an argument on the other side of the fence where the town's cemetery was located. "So tell me... What am I supposed to do now?" a harsh young woman yelled. "You were the one who said we should go join up with him. That... that fool! What do I have to show for it now?"

"It's too late now," said a young man around her age. "What's done is done."

"What's that supposed to mean? Ohh...! What are you going to do about this? My life is ruined! I swear... You better take responsibility for what you've done!" she shouted before leaving the scene. The young man sighed as he followed behind.

Cyrus looked back at Fayt, giving him some helpful wisdom. "That, my good man, is what we call a woman on a warpath," he said. "As we see, even in ancient times, such a sight struck fear into the hearts of men. This goes to show that even the most beautiful roses have their sharp thorns."

"I'll keep that in mind," Fayt said as a sweatdrop hung from the side of his head. He couldn't help but to pity the young man.

The two continued on their path to the chief's home. When they arrived, the elder leader walked over and graciously thanked them. "It appears that you have rid us of that scoundrel Norton," he said. "You two are the saviors of this village. On behalf of the people of Whipple, I thank you."

"Oh, no need," Fayt said sincerely. "It was just our way of returning your services."

"Yeah," Cyrus added. "You helped us get back on our feet. The least we take knock off your resident warlord. I say we're pretty even."

"Please, don't be so modest," the chief said. He then dug into his pocket. "Oh, yes. I would like you to take this as a token of our gratitude." The elder took out a small shiny red crystal and handed it to Fayt. It was a Medecentra Pyroxene.

"We can't take this, sir," Fayt said.

"No, I insist. It is a charm passed down from generation to generation in our village. I believe it's in good hands with you."

"Well since you chose to give us such a precious crystal…" With a quick swipe, Cyrus snatched the red stone from Fayt's reluctant hand. The blue-haired teen was shocked by the black teen's quickness. "I'll be sure to keep my precious safe. My precious…" he replied as he imitated Gollum from Lord of the Rings while he rubbed his cheek on the stone. Fayt shook his head slowly before the two left the village.

After standing patiently for about an hour, Cliff noticed the approaching teens. "You guys ready?" he asked.

"Yeah," Fayt said.

"Now let's get down to business," Cyrus replied.

"Alright. You remember the cliff near your escape pods, right?" the teens nodded at the Klausian's question. "Our ticket out of here is just past there. Now let's get moving!"

"Roger, roger." The team trekked through the dense forest to their destination. After an hour of traversing through the environment, the trio made it to the cliff.

Once there, Cliff (the Klausian) opened a comm link on his gauntlet to his ship and started conversing with whoever was on board. "Hey, it's me," he began. "We're at the location. Transport us up as soon as you can. Hmm? Oh, no problem. I got them. …I said it's okay. I haven't done anything. Yeah, I know. Now hurry up and get us outta here." Cliff broke contact with the ship and walked up to Fayt and Cyrus. "My ship'll be here shortly. Once we're ready, it's bye-bye to this mud ball. It's not too big, but it's packing a gravitic warp engine, making it quite the speed demon."

"Hey Cliff," Fayt said.

"Yeah?"

"There's something I've been wanting to ask you…"

"Really? What's that?"

"Why would Quark's leader want to meet us? I'm just a college student from Earth!"

"Right, and I'm just a high school kid from Northgate!" Cyrus replied.

"Oh…um… 'no comment?' Heh. That's... that's not doing it for you, is it?

"This isn't a news conference. And we ain't reporters. No dice."

"Let's see, well… I guess the biggest reason would be… Our leader wants to chat with you?"

"Nice try, but that's dodging the question," Fayt said.

"So give us the dirt, man," Cyrus said.

"Hey, how should I know? I just do what I'm told," Cliff defended. "There's probably something our leader wants to discuss with you guys."

"And that 'something' is..." Fayt said in an aggravated tone.

"Well—You'll just have to come with me and find out for yourselves. Sorry kids, but that's all I know," Cliff explained.

"Nice cop-out." Cyrus said. _"I still don't get it. The leader is interested in me, too. Could they know I'm from a different dimension? Then again, I could be wrong. But still, what would they want with my black ass?"_

It wasn't long until Cliff's ship arrived on the scene. The spacecraft hovered at a low altitude not too far from their location. It wasn't long until the three were transported up one at a time.

Meanwhile, back in Whipple, Niklas had finally woke up. Meena rose from her slumber soon after. As soon as she saw him, Meena started cried with tears of joy as she dug her face. The two soon heard a loud noise from outside. They quickly ran out of their house and looked up into the sky. They saw Cliff's ship soaring overhead, leaving the planet's atmosphere and making its way to deep space.

Meanwhile, inside the ship, the team were strapped into their seats and headed to their destination. "Well, let's get a move on," Cliff said. "She'll be expecting us. The rendezvous point is Beta-747-372-406. You got that, Mirage?"

"Roger," said an attractive woman as she press buttons on the keyboard. She had long blonde hair that was braided in the back and wore a short vest over her skirt and large boots. "Engaging conventional engines… Gravitic warp core, normal." Meanwhile, Cyrus looked back on when he and Fayt first arrived on Cliff's ship (which was only five minutes ago). "Welcome back.," the woman greeted earlier in a soft voice.

"Sorry to keep ya waitin'," Cliff said. He then turned back to the teens and said, "This is my navigator and partner in crime. I leave the day-to-day operation of the ship to her. Mirage, these are our targets."

"Yes. I knew right away," Mirage said. "Nice to meet you, Fayt and Cyrus. I'm Mirage Koas."

"N-nice to meet you, too," Fayt stuttered as he tried to hide the red in his cheeks.

"H-hello, it's good to meet you," Cyrus said. Fayt and Cyrus both stared at Mirage, can't helping but to gawk. _"Oh man. This chick's not just a dime! She's a damn half-dollar!" _he thought.

"You two okay?" Cliff asked. Cyrus returned to the present and turned to Cliff. "I bet you two were thinking 'man isn't she pretty.'"

"Not really…" Cyrus replied slowly as he turned his MP3 Player to "Mission to the Deep Space" from Star Ocean: Till the End of Time.

"Well listen up, don't fall for her—She's a Klausian, too. Any funny ideas, and yer liable to meet a swift, yet painful, death."

"Hey, w-wait a sec!" Fayt retorted as he blushed profusely. "I'm not falling for anyone!"

"I don't know about the Kool Aid Man, but I ain't going no head-over-heels up in here," Cyrus replied.

"Relax, you guys!" Cliff said. "I was just warning ya."

"Anyway… I need to know something," Fayt began. "How long will it be until we meet the leader?"

"Well, it should take around three hours to reach the rendezvous point," Cliff said. He then turned to his partner and said, "Mirage, I'm gonna go take a shower. I'll leaving you in charge."

"Oh Cliff…" Mirage began. "Your shower will have to wait."

"Huh? Why's that?"

"I've just detected a gravitic space anomaly up ahead. I'm bringing us out of gravitic space to avoid it."

"You serious? You think it's hostile?"

After hearing that, Fayt's face turned as pale as his shirt. Cyrus notice this and knew what it meant. _"An anomaly just like before,"_ the dark shizznit thought. _"There's no doubt about what'll happen next."_

The vessel soon slowed down until they returned in the black endless void of stars that was regular space. "We're back in conventional space," Mirage said. "…Two Vendeeni battleships detected 400,000 km ahead."

"An ambush, huh?" Cliff said, sounding like he expected it. "Man, it's bad enough the Federation is after us." In a calm tone, the Klausian then said, "…Open up a channel."

"Hold on," Mirage said as she was activating the comm link. "Connection confirmed…"

"Uhhh… This is the Eagle, a Klausian ship. We don't want any trouble with ya…"

"You're wasting your time," Mirage interrupted, "The enemy ships are already prepared to attack."

"So much for negotiations," Cyrus said. "Looks like they didn't have time for 'the voice of reasoning.'"

"Guess they know who's onboard," Cliff said. "The gravitic warp engines might be down, but we've got no choice but to retreat… Mirage, time to reverse course! Full power to the conventional engines!"

"Roger."

"Full power to rear shields! And pull up a chart for this region!" The windshields on the windows closed and a holographic star map activated between the front seats. Cliff scanned the projection for any escape route possible.

"Hey, Cyrus," Fayt whispered. "Do you think we'll get out of this alright?"

"Don't worry about it," the black teen assured. "These guys are professionals. I'm sure we'll be fine."

"Alright, course 116, mark 267!" Cliff replied. "Activate auto-evasion program! Fasten crew safety harnesses!"

"Roger," Mirage said. She began typing various commands rapidly. "…Course entry complete. Speed, maximum… Program activated." The group's safety harnesses slowly lowered. To Cyrus, they almost looked like harnesses from roller coasters.

"Hey, you two feeling lucky?" Cliff asked. The Eagle shook violent from side to side. They were accelerating

"Whoa..." shouted Fayt.

"Whoo hoo!" Cyrus shouted in excitement.

"We've evaded round one from the enemy's disrupter cannon," Mirage said. The Klausian woman looked over her map before complying. "Nearing objective point."

"All right, as soon as we're there, go into gravitic warp," Cliff ordered.

"Cliff, gravitic warp is still currently nonfunctional…"

"I got a hunch it'll function the moment we reach the objective point. Get us on a straight line between the ships and that planet, then pop us up starside—we'll open up the distance that way."

"Very well…but we won't be able to designate our warp destination."

"Well, we're toast if we stay here, Mirage! Anyhow, space is big, right? Our odds ain't that bad!"

"You got a hunch?" Fayt asked.

"Okay, nevermind. We're screwed!" Cyrus replied quickly.

"Roger," Mirage said. The Vendeeni carriers fired a barrage of shots at the Eagle. However, thanks to the Cutter's speed, they managed to evade the attacks. One of the assault carriers launched another onslaught at the ship, hoping to do a great deal of damage. "The enemy's fired again," Mirage reported. "Four rounds now approaching…"

"Four, huh?" Cliff said. "This is gonna be close. Either we enter gravitic warp first or we get pummeled. Now's the time to pray, gentlemen!"

"Ooh, me first," Cyrus said before clasping his hands together. "Dear lord, please do not deny this young shizznit a good long life of keepin' it real and hard pimpin'. I promise to be the most bad-ass mo' fo' in history. Amen."

"He didn't mean literally," Fayt replied.

"What!? It couldn't hurt, could it?"

"Unfortunately, it looks like we might lose this race," Mirage said. "Here comes the first round now, and we're seven seconds from objective point."

"Aaah, who cares if we take a few rounds?" Cliff said in a cocky tone. Cyrus slowly raised his hand as Cliff talked. "Warp our butts outta here!"

"Warp engine damaged, but…still functioning."

"You bet it is! Activate gravitic warp!" The Eagle soared through space in a quick burst of speed. It rocked left and right, dodge the first shot, which passed by its right flank. The second shot barely hit them on the left side. Just as the third salvo was about to make impact, the ship kick started to gravitic warp just in the nick of time. They were safe inside the gravitic warp stream and out of the clutches of the Vendeeni.

"We've thrown off the Vendeeni ships," Mirage said.

"Phew... That was close," Cliff said in exasperation.

"Well, you gotta admit that we got out in one piece," Cyrus said. "Just like I said would happen."

"But weren't you just praying!?" Fayt asked.

"What? A guy can't put a dash of divinity here and there?"

"We may be out of danger, but now we're pretty far from the rendezvous point," Mirage pointed out.

"Well, it can't be helped. Guess she'll have to wait a little more."

"Wow, that hunch of yours really paid off," an impressed Fayt said.

"Finally, some respect," Cliff said.

"Yeah, for your recklessness."

"What's that supposed to mean? How about some honesty. Maybe a 'Heeey, that Cliff sure is something,' or 'You're a genius, Cliff!'"

"Don't sugar coat it, man," Cyrus said as he turned his mp3 player to "Cheve" from Control Machete.

Suddenly, a loud noise was heard. "Sorry to interrupt your fun…" Mirage said.

"What is it, Mirage?" Cliff said.

"The gravitic warp core is overheating. We'll need to reduce speed immediately or the engine will scram."

"Whaaat!? Didn't I specifically request that ya tell me these things sooner?" Cliff replied. "Hurry and get us back to conventional space, pronto!"

"Roger."

"And Houston, we have a problem" Cyrus said. "Was this part of the plan, genius?" They dropped back into conventional space. Unfortunately, there were even more issues to follow.

"More bad news," Mirage said.

"What now?" Cliff said in an agitated tone.

"Both the conventional and gravitic warp engines have scrammed. Our backup engine isn't functioning, either. I'd say we have a problem."

"Damn it! We can't move!" Silence filled the room. "Where're we now?"

"We're currently within Elicoor II's gravitational field."

"If all our energy sources are shot, then we can't communicate either…" Cliff said as he sat quietly, contemplating about his next move. "Well, I'm sure she'll figure out something happened to us after we don't show up when we're supposed to."

"One would hope so."

"Well, Mirage, come up with something," The Klausian male said as he flopped on his chair.

"I'll see what I can do." Mirage started pressing commands.

"What CAN we do?" Fayt asked. "Aren't all the engines scrammed!?"

"Yeah," Cyrus said. "We're floating lifeless around a planet's orbit."

"First thing we can do is land before we crash. Then, we'll just have to wait until we're rescued," Cliff said.

"Real great plan," the snide teenager replied. "After we survive, we just need to find a small volleyball to make this a great Castaway sequel."

"Look, my mission is to bring you to our leader safe and sound. So until then, I'll watch over you guys. You're safe as…as a turtle in its shell!"

"More like a turtle dropping out of orbit…" Fayt muttered.

"Huh? Did you say something?" Cliff said sternly.

"Nothing." Fayt quickly replied.

"Splaaaaaaat," Cyrus said as if he were yawning. He then noticed Cliff glaring at him. Laughing sheepishly, Cyrus pointed out his window and said, "I-I'm just gonna… look over here…"

"We'll be entering into Elicoor II's atmosphere in another 30 seconds," Mirage said. "Get ready for a bumpy ride, you two. And just a little tip… keep wagging those tongues and you'll bite them off. I wouldn't want either of you to die of blood loss." The ship's windshields closed again.

"Roger."

"Yes ma'am."

"Word." The three men said in unison. Their harnesses slowly lowering, as they braced for impact. The Eagle soon plummeted into Elicoor II's, which they would find out that their adventure truly begins.

**Part 6.2: Fallen Eagle**

The Eagle had crashed, nose first into a primitive city; which would mean that the crew's arrival was far from unnoticed by the townsfolk. Many people gathered to the crash site to investigate the mess. "What is that thing?" a panicked man asked.

"A star, fallen from the sky?" A fascinated girl answered, a bit puzzled herself.

"Nonsense! It looks nothing like a fallen star!"

"Well, what is it, then?"

"How am I supposed to know!?"

Inside the ship, a monitor popped up, showing the skeptical patrons in town gathering to the crash site. "This is really bad," Fayt said in a worried tone. "We've landed right in the middle of a city!"

"Not to mention everything's pretty much destroyed," Cliff added. "You're lucky you're even alive right now."

Fayt sighed. "I guess this is no time to worry about the UP3," he figured. "What are we supposed to do now?"

Fayt and Cyrus got out of their seats to take a stretch. Cyrus walked over to Mirage and asked, "Mirage, what kind of planet Elicoor II's supposed to be?"

"It's the second planet in the Elicoor System with an axial tilt of 32.6 degrees, and is 0.8 AUs from its parent star," Mirage explained. "The gravity here is 0.9 G. Other than the fact that its atmosphere is mostly comprised of noble gasses such as neon instead of nitrogen, it has an atmosphere composition which closely resembles Earth's."

"It's hospitable. That's a good thing. It's always nice to breathe."

"According to my data, the technology level on this planet is near that of Medieval Earth, or around the 17th century. Although the planet is registered in the Galactic Atlas as an underdeveloped planet, it appears to be in a constant state of conflict, so there are no figures for the total population of sentient beings."

"So we're stuck on another underdeveloped planet... Difference is it's a century ahead from the last one."

"Do we at least have the information for our current location?" Fayt asked.

"Well, sentient life forms do live in this area. We don't have any detailed information, like government, but this is a pretty large city. External air temperature is minus five degrees Celsius. Both falling and deposited snow have been detected."

"A city..." Cyrus said in a low tone. "And a cold one at that."

"We also know that there are two major continents on this planet. There's the one we're on now, and another one to the east. The continent to the east appears to have a slightly higher civilization level."

"I see..." Fayt said.

"But still, we're in some deep trouble now, my peeps," Cyrus said.

"Relax. Panicking won't change anything," Cliff said.

Meanwhile, a trio of soldiers were moving through the crowd. With spears in hand and heavy armor, these individuals seemed ready to fight whatever cross their path. "You there. Move," shouted a snotty soldier.

"Out of the way!" shouted an older soldier "Off the road!"

"What's this!?" a rugged soldier asked.

"One of Aquaria's new weapons?" an old soldier answered. One of the soldiers tapped on the ship with his spear. Meanwhile, inside the Eagle...

"Now we're surrounded by a group of local soldiers," Mirage asked. "What will you do?"

"We can't do anything while the Eagle's scrapped like this," Cliff said. "And fighting our way out isn't really an option… Well look on the bright side, at least we're still in one piece!"

"For now, maybe…" Cyrus whispered to himself.

"Oh well—let's just step outside and see what happens."

"Hold on just a second!" Fayt replied. "Even minimal contact with the inhabitants of an underdeveloped planet will get us in trouble. Besides, we've no idea what to expect once we step foot out there!"

"Fayt, it's not like we wanted to come here in the first place," Cyrus said. He then turned his attention to the screen, his focus on the armor clad guards. "And while you're talkin' about expectations, I already got the point."

"So you have any ideas to share?" Cliff asked. "I hate to point this out, but I think we've already made contact, rather forcefully, anyway."

"Well, still…"

Cliff got up and rested his hand on Fayt's shoulder. "Don't worry. I've gotta hunch they won't kill. At least not right away," Cliff said.

"That's reassuring," Cyrus said, "Another great hunch."

"What's that supposed to mean!?" replied Cliff. "At least we made it here safely? After all, my hunches are always right!"

"Sure they are," Cyrus replied. "You call getting attacked by a seafood, spinning out of control in deep space, and crash landing in a primeval city 'safe'? Geez, I don't want to know your definition of 'danger' is."

"Speaking of hunches…" Mirage began. "There was that time when we nearly crashed into an asteroid because of your hunch."

Cliff stalled, scratching his head in guilt. "But that was a ONE time thing!"

"A one time thing!" Cyrus repeated. "You'll be hearing from me when number two comes along."

"At any rate, it's not like we have any other choice."

"What do you think they'll do?" Fayt asked.

"Well, there are two possibilities. One, we'll probably be taken prisoner and placed in their cells," Cliff said. "Or two, they'll think we're angels who crash landed from the heavens and they'll take us to whoever's in charge."

Everyone onboard was silent. Fayt, Cyrus and Mirage all gave Cliff sharp glares. "You really are insane…" Fayt finally responded.

"Hey, if the replicator was operational, maybe it could work."

"Boy, is you crazy?" Cyrus asked in an agitated tone. "Where are you get your plans from? Aquaman or Iron Man?"

"Joking aside, only you, Fayt and I will leave."

"Only the three of us?" Fayt asked. "What about Mirage?"

"We'll have Mirage wait until later to make an escape," Cliff said. He then said to Mirage, "Mirage, stay until nightfall, then leave under the cover of darkness."

"Right," she agreed. "That shouldn't be a problem."

"But Mirage… All alone?" Fayt said in a worried tone.

"You're forgetting she's a Klausian," Cliff said. "She'll be alright. If you want to worry about someone, worry about the soldier that tries to take her on."

"Do you want me to come rescue you?" she asked.

"Nah, we'll be fine," Cliff said. "There'll probably be too many of 'em, anyway. We'll think of something… Just survey the area and find some way to contact the Diplo. If they could home in on our position, they can come and get us. Don't get yourself in danger trying to help us."

"Roger."

"All right, time to go."

"Fayt… Be careful. Cyrus... Stay safe."

"Thanks," Fayt said. "You too, Mirage."

"Don't worry, Mirage," Cyrus replied. "I'll keep these two in line."

"Cliff..."

"I said it'll be okay," Cliff said. "…I'm counting on you."

"Okay… Be careful."

The three left the eagle, their hands raised in surrender. "There's people in there!" exclaimed a snooty soldier. The sounds of confused chattering was heard throughout the crowd. The guards were more quiet and a lot serious. Their weapons were aimed straight for them in case of any hostility.

"So what now?" Cyrus asked Cliff.

"Maybe we can win them over," Cliff said.

"Are you really sure?" Fayt asked nervously.

"A good first impression is always helpful."

With sincere smiles, the three played the diplomacy card. "Hey, everybody…" Fayt replied.

"We come in peace..." Cyrus said.

"Hello… Nice soldiers…" Cliff said.

However, as soon as one of the soldiers shouted, "Get 'em!!!" they realized their plan was an utter failure. They charged toward them, weapons raised.

"W-wait, please!" Fayt begged.

"Give it up, kid. There's nothing we can do," Cliff said.

"Give up!?" Fayt said.

"Look behind you."

"Huh?" Fayt looked and saw one of the soldiers towering above him. He screamed as the soldiers overwhelmed them and attacked. The trio were beaten and bruised by the soldiers, assault. The attackers then grabbed them from the wreckage dragged them to the castle.

One of the soldiers behind Cyrus was poking him with his spear. "Ah! Hey... Give a brother… some personal space would you!?" the black teen replied weakly. The soldier poked him again. "Ah! Oh that's it…! Police brutality…! Police brutality...! Where's Al Sharpton when you need him!?" he yelled.

**Part 6.3: Dungeons and Crabs**

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the castle, three captains of the country's powerful troops were having a meeting with the company of the king. The matter at hand: the three people and the strange object that crash landed. "Well, what was it?" asked King Airyglyph XIII, ruler of the Kingdom of Airyglyph asked the guard.

"We believe it to be a new Aquarian weapon, Your Majesty," said a guard. "We have the three crewmembers locked up in the dungeon," he said

"Very well," said the king. "Continue with your investigation, and step up to the pace of the invasion of Arias. If the enemy has indeed brought a new weapon into active service, then time is of the essence."

"Your Majesty!" The guard bowed respectfully and left the room.

"What think you, Woltar?" his majesty asked.

"If this object that has fallen on our city is truly a new Aquarian weapon, then we are in trouble," said the oldest and the wisest of the captains, Woltar (leader of the Storm Brigade). "Aquaria has shown an admirable ability to wage war of late."

"Lord Woltar appears to lack confidence," said the ever-so-confident Lord Vox (head of the high flying Dragon Brigade and uncle to the king). "Airyglyph has your Storm Brigade cavalry, Albel's Black Brigade heavy cavalry, and my winged Dragon Brigade for good measures! They stand no chance against our legions, Sire. Their weapons have proven themselves little threat to us. Anything they throw at us, we return in spades."

"Pride comes before the fall. Surely a measure of prudence would do us no harm. Right, Albel?" Woltar asked.

"Heh… If they're the enemy, we kill them," replied the coldest and fiercest of the captains, Albel Nox (leader the of Black Brigade). "If they aren't, we dispose of them. Simple!"

"If only things were as simple as you say…" Woltar replied.

"Regardless, we have yet to see any evidence the object is a new Aquarian weapon," Vox said. "My men have already begun to interrogate the crewmembers. They'll talk before long."

"The Inquisitor?" a concerned Woltar asked. "He always seems to enjoy his work a bit too much…"

"He is the best."

"As long as they do not die before they talk. We are not barbarians—even prisoners have certain rights, you know."

"You speak absurdities. Prisoners have no 'rights'. We'll hurt them until they squeal. If they die as a result, then so be it. You've grown much too soft in your old age, Woltar."

"Compared to you, that may be true. I'm willing to do what's necessary, but I think your men have a tendency to take things too far."

"What's the big deal?" Albel finally said. "Just find out whether they're enemies or not. If that's too much trouble, I'll be happy to take care of them." Albel's statement left Woltar and Vox silent. Everyone knew about Albel's deadly tactics of retrieving information: kill if they're useless or kill if they're opposition.

"We know what we have to do, m'Lord. Don't worry—if we do kill them, we'll make sure they cough before they croak, eh?" Vox quipped.

"I certainly hope so," Woltar replied coolly.

"That will be quite enough. Now is not the time for us to haggle over such matters," King Airyglyph said.

"Indeed it is not." Vox agreed.

"Vox, continue your interrogation. Woltar and Albel, return to your posts. We are counting on your knights. You are the pride of our great kingdom."

"Yes, sire," Vox and Woltar said in unison. Albel remained silent.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the dungeon; Cyrus was hung by shackles in a torture chamber. Behind him was the Inquisitor, a large bodied man wearing nothing but black pants, two belts crisscrossed his upper body in order to hold them up, and a mask that covered his face which zipped in the back. For the last ten minutes, the shizznit has been whipped by the man, not long after he interrogated Fayt. His face was shielded by his hat's brim and the back of his body was covered in whelps. "Spill it out, boy!" the Inquisitor said. "Play nice, and we'll treat you right." the Inquisitor said.

"_Oh, like I haven't heard that before,"_ Cyrus thought. _"Especially where I come from."_

"That thing you were hiding in was a new Aquarian weapon? Wasn't it?" He asked while holding Cyrus' chin. Cyrus remained quiet. "Answer the question!" he demanded as he punched his victim's stomach.

"Is that the best... you got... Miss Piggy?" the winded Cyrus asked. "'A six year old girl... hits harder... than you..."

"Reeeeeeaaaaally noooooooowww! Maybe this will do it!" the Inquisitor shouted as he lashed at Cyrus numerous times. He laughed sinisterly as he whipped the teen over and over again. It wasn't long before Cyrus fainted from his stinging punishment. "Damn, he fainted," the tormentor said. "And it was juuuuust getting good! I'll see you again soon, my kitty! Hahahaha…" The Inquisitor turned to the guard. "You! Throw this one in the cell!"

"Yes sir!" The guard took Cyrus out of the chamber. He was thrown (literally) back in the cell where his comrades sat, hood raised from the impact.

"Hey," Cyrus replied.

"Hey," complied Fayt.

"Yo, you all right?" Cliff asked.

Cyrus looked at his comrades and how injured he was compared to them. "Yeah, just peachy." Cyrus then noticed that his MP3 player was missing. He looked around. "Hey, where's my MP3 player!" Cyrus shouted. Cliff shook his head over to the guard. It seems the man knew how to attach the phones to his ears. "Oh that's just messed up!" he shouted.

"Well Cyrus, you held your own back there," Cliff said. "I would've expected at least a snivel from you."

"That's nice to hear... To tell you the truth, I've delt with worse where I came from. But look at you, man." Cyrus said as he looked at Cliff's harness. The Klausian's entire forearms were wrapped in restraining belts.

"Oh, yeah. Well tighter restraints for stronger people I suppose."

"Cyrus..." Fayt called.

"What up?" Cyrus said.

"Have you found something out?"

"Yeah. Ol' Top Heavy over there is a damn douche bag."

"I heard that..." Cliff replied.

"Okay… But have you also heard of a place called Aquaria?" Fayt asked.

"Nope," Cyrus said. "The only thing I got was that our ship is supposedly a new Aquarian weapon."

"That must be their enemy or something," Cliff said.

"So they figure we're spies?" Cyrus asked. "That's just great."

"Looks that way." Cliff tryed to wriggle out of his restraints. However, his efforts were in vain. Even his superior Klausian strength was no match for his limb's prison. "Damn, still nothing."

"And that, class, is why the word 'restrain' is in 'restraints'," Cyrus said.

"Gee, you slay me." Silence had filled the cell.

The only thing breaking it was Cyrus' MP3 Player. Cyrus knew that the song that was playing was "The Formula" by The D.O.C. He was intent on listening. "You like that, huh?" Cyrus replied to the guard. "You just like to take a brotha's music player, don't ya bitch. Thinkin' you a real big man, huh?" The guard turned around, taking a glance at Cyrus. He then turned away and continued to ignore him. "Oh so you gonna act like you can't hear now? You best be happy there's bars here else I would've gone off on yo' punk ass." Once more, there was no comply. The man simply continued listening to the music. "You have incited my wrath and just made a lethal foe, foo'."

"Do you think Mirage left the Eagle safely?" Fayt asked.

"Aww, she'll be fine. Like I said before, she's a Klausian," Cliff replied. "I bet she snuck off into town a while ago."

"I hope you're right," the blue-haired teen said depressingly. "Grr… How'm I supposed to save my dad if I'm trapped in here? I don't know why he was captured by the Vendeeni, but I know they're showing him little hospitality."

"No offense, Fayt, but we're not doing so hot ourselves," Cyrus said as he glared at the guard. "If you ask me, your pops is getting some tight perks compared to us."

"Hey, cheer up," Cliff said. "It won't be long until someone springs us outta here."

"And who would that 'someone' be?" Fayt said.

"Yeah," Cyrus said. "Mirage isn't supposed to bail us out and I doubt you have a contact from here. Plus there's no way your boss would know so soon…"

"Shhhh!" Cliff interrupted. "They're here."

"What? Where?" Fayt asked. Suddenly, the Airyglyph soldier that guarded the trio's cell was knocked to the ground dead. Appearing before them was a cloaked figure standing before the guard. The team was surprised, all except for Cyrus.

"_Now that was a one-hit kill,"_ he thought. _"Gotta love ninjas."_

"Friend or foe, I dunno—but there's somebody here," Cliff said.

Fayt and Cliff stood up. "Hey," Cliff said.

"You have two options: accept my conditions and live, or refuse, and die here," Pulling off the cloak, the wearer was revealed to be a young woman with short red hair. She wore a short skirt with light armor and a long striped scarf around her neck. Her legs were entirely covered in thick stockings (though the top part of her thigh was engraved in symbols). "It's your choice," she finished.

"_Damn she's even hotter in person!"_ thought the young shizznit.

"What kind of options are those!?" Cliff asked.

"The correct choice should be obvious," the red-head said.

"Okay, then what's the conditions?"

"I simply ask for your help."

"Our help?" Fayt asked.

"That's right. The three of you were riding that chunk of metal, correct? We want your technology."

"Wait! We can't let you have that!?" Fayt replied.

"Why not?" the red head asked.

"Why not!? Well—"

"And what would you do with our technology, if we gave it to you?" Cliff asked hypothetically.

"With your technology, we can use it to end the war between this country and mine. With our side victorious, of course."

"Hold on… 'your country?'"

"So you're rollin' wit' another crew?" Cyrus asked.

"Rolling with what?" the woman asked, confused by Cyrus' statement.

"Okay, rewind. You're from a different country?"

"Indeed. I'm from Aquaria."

"Aquaria… That's the name the interrogator kept saying." Fayt said.

"Makes sense, now." Cliff said.

"If you've been interrogated, then why do you still show loyalty to Airygylph? Why not help me?"

"Yeah, them whippin's we just had were our rewards for loyalty," Cyrus said before he shook his head. "Let's see. Either stay as we are now, or go help someone else and get out of this cage? I don't know about you, but I want to give that fat ass a workout. Count me in."

"Good point. We'll help you," Cliff said.

"Do you know what you're saying!?" Fayt yelped.

"Could you give us a moment?" Cliff asked the woman. He grabbed the two younger males and relocated to the corner of the cell. With arms folded and head cocked, the red-head waited patiently. "Shut your trap, kid."

"But she wants our technology!" Fayt retorted. "What do you think you'll teach them!?"

"Have you seen this civilization's level of technology?" Cliff asked. "All they need is a little college physics. And I don't know about you, kid, but I've been paying attention in class," Cliff said.

"A little health course and P.E. wouldn't hurt either," Cyrus added.

"Just on the slim chance that you two might be right and start going along with this," Fayt argued, "what about the UP3!?"

"Screw the UP3, home boy!" Cyrus replied. "Now's not the time for your law and order."

"Man, you're such a square!" Cliff thought out loud. "Then again, maybe that's your redeeming feature, huh? Straight as an arrow just like…well…" he then cut himself off, knowing he was letting out to much information.

"Just like who?" Fayt asked.

"Huh? Did I say something? Never mind, kid."

"I'm minding."

"Geez, forget about it!" Cliff replied before changing the subject. "Listen: based on what she said, we must be in Airyglyph. This place is at warring with her country, Aquaria. You two with me so far?"

"Yeah," Fayt said as Cyrus gave a nod.

"Okay, both countries want us because we have some kind of unknown technology. Who wouldn't? After all, we did slam unexpectedly in the middle of a medieval city. Think about it: if we choose not to help her, Airyglyph would be next in line. And I seriously doubt their terms will be any different."

"No doubt 'bout that, Cliff."

"So what are you saying..." Fayt said.

"What I'm saying is if we're gonna cooperate with somebody, it might as well be that hot chick over there, know what I mean?" Fayt and Cyrus were stunned to Cliff's proposal.

"_Man, he already sounds like a kind of guy that would give out his credit card number to any dime,"_ Cyrus thought as he slowly shook his head. "You know, the gangsta in me is applauding the fact that you're a fellow playa," Cyrus replied. "But then the other guy going, 'Is this foo' trippin'!?'"

"Right now, I'm saying you're completely insane." Fayt said.

"How about we say it was a joke," Cliff explained.

"_Yeah, let's play that game…"_ thought the black teen.

"The point is that this is our ticket out of here. Once we've left this dump, we'll be out scott free. But until then, we'll have to be patient. And unless you're getting use to the shackles and whips, I thought you'd be wanting to save your old man? Actually meet him in this life instead of the next."

Fayt sat silently. He thought over Cliff's argument and the events that had occurred for a brief minute. "All right, you win, for now." Fayt said reluctantly

"That's what I'm talkin' about!" Cyrus replied.

"Atta boy," Cliff said. The three walked over to the woman on the other side of the bars. "After some thought, we've agreed help you. Now get us outta here."

"Then we have a deal," the red-head said. "Fine. Step back from the bars." The men distanced themselves from their cage's barrier. The redhead woman lowered her hand as an aura surrounded her arm. In an instant, a burst of energy broke open the door. " Cliff whistled and Fayt looked stunned.

Cyrus also couldn't believe it, even though he already passed this part of the game. _"The weird thing is that I have that power!"_ he thought.

"You're free," the woman said as the trio walked out of their cell.

"Thanks for getting us out," Cliff praised. "If it's not too much…could you use that little trick of yours to get us out of these?"

The redhead walked behind Cliff and inspected his bindings. "Don't move," she warned. In a blink of an eye, the woman sliced their restraints to ribbons with a pair of daggers. The trio's bindings fell to the floor and they were free to relax their sore wrists and forearms.

Cyrus walked over to the fallen guard's body. "Time to move over buddy," he said as he pushed him to the side with his foot. The dark shizznit knelt to the ground to retrieved his MP3 Player. "Thanks!" Cyrus said to the Aquarian as he placed it in the pocket.

"No thanks needed. I'm just doing my job," the rescuer said nonchalantly. "Now, I expect you to hold your end of our agreement," the woman said.

"Huuhh?" Cliff said in confusion.

"You said you'd cooperate with us. I hope that you weren't trying to deceive me and possibly believe you could escape. If you try to do so… then I'll kill you," she threatened.

"Gah!" was the sound that came out of a nervous Cliff

"Hey… She heard us," Fayt said.

"I should thank you for calling me 'hot', but the 'chick' part I can live without."

"Sca-ree," Cliff said.

"I think you need to work on game, Cliff," sneered Cyrus as he poked the Klausian's side with his elbow.

"I'm Nel Zelpher," the woman introduced. "Agent for the Sacred Kingdom of Aquaria."

"My name's Fayt Leingod. And these two..."

"Cliff Fittir."

"Cyrus Splicer's the name. Keepin' it real's my game."

"Fayt, Cliff and Cyrus… My pleasure. So tell me: where did you come from? And what was that metallic object you crashed in?" Nel asked.

"Any idea what to say?" Fayt whispered to Cliff.

"Just leave it to me," Cliff said. "I'll handle this."

"Hasn't helped us so far," Cyrus quipped. Cliff turned his head to the young shizznit and glared. However, the black teen only stared up at the dungeon's ceiling with a smirk on his face. _"Try not to blow it up this time, G,"_ he thought.

"We'll it's very simple." Cliff began. "See, we're from a small country on the eastern continent. It's not that well known, but we our technology is some of the best there is."

"You said an eastern country? You must mean one of Greeton's countries? Not the country that invaded Aquaria…"

"So that's what you call it here. Yeah, that's where we're from. The three of us are engineers from there."

"If that's the case, then what are engineers doing here in Airyglyph?"

"Well, since we don't have time for details, let me sum it up. Fayt's dad got captured by an enemy, uhhh… country. We were on our way to rescue him in our newly developed… vehicle, but it broke down on the way and we ended up here."

"Yeah. Our ride is pretty damaged from the accident," Cyrus added. "Now we have no choice but to hold up till out homies arrive, know what I mean?"

"I see…" Nel said. "I thought you could have been from Greeton."

"Really?" Cyrus said. "What gave us away?"

"There is no country on this continent with technology as high a level as yours. It was an easy conclusion."

"Well, are you satisfied?" Cliff asked.

"More or less. What I am sure of is this: there's no way we'll have Airyglyph continue holding you in their custody. You must cooperate with us."

"We 'must'!?" Cyrus said. "The situation must be that bad!"

"You have no idea."

"Nel… That's your name, isn't it?" Fayt asked.

"Correct."

"What do you mean by cooperate? And what technology are you hoping to use?"

"Yes, well…!"

Before Nel could finish, she was then interrupted by a knight who had just arrived on the scene. "What's going on down here? Hey, you—Whaa--!?"

"They're already changing the guard!?" Nel asked herself in shocked. "I hope you three have fighting experience?"

"Why?" Fayt pondered.

"Because you're about to get some."

"Don't you worry about us. You could say we're above average." Cliff said.

"You might be able to fight with using nothing but bare hands, but I need a weapon…" Fayt replied.

"I can do without a weapon," Cyrus said. "But I need one just for a little 'punch' at the party,"

"I thought this might happen," Nel said. "In there," she said, referring to the treasure chest a few feet away from the dead guard. Fayt and Cyrus opened the box and found their swords. There was also pieces of armor for Fayt (a girdle, a couple of arm and knee pads, and a couple of hand guards). Cliff's gauntlets were also inside the chest.

"What are these?" Fayt asked as he held up his armor.

"Your stuff. I got it back for you."

"Thank you very much," Cliff said as he started wearing his arm plate.

"Yeah, you're a life saver," Cyrus replied with sword in hand.

"One more thing…" Nel said. "…Fayt, right? You can't go around dressed as you are. I'm not sure if it's the right size, but they will have to do." The redheaded spy tossed Fayt a sac with clothes inside.

The blue-haired teen peered inside and saw a pair of blue pants and a sleeveless shirt. "Th-thank you," Fayt said. He went inside the cell and changed into his new attire. Cyrus, Cliff, and Nel turned away as Fayt got dressed. In about a few minutes, the swordsman left the confined space with his new clothes.

"Home G, you's be pimpin' man," Cyrus said. "You getting' that blue shit goin' on like Sonic the Hedgehog."

"Gee, thanks," Fayt said in an unsure tone. "I think…"

"What did he say?" Nel whispered to Cliff, confused by the black shizznit's dialogue.

"Don't pay any attention to him," Cliff advised. "He's just the weird guy."

"If I'm the weird guy, then that makes you the bad driver," Cyrus replied.

"You're not going to drop it, are you?"

"Only until you do something else… which I bet will result in a crash."

"I think it's about time we left," Fayt said.

"Right," Nel said. The team of four ran to through the hallway. Cell after cell, there were people packed inside the small cubicles of captivity. Some begged to leave, others shouted obscenities. There were also a few that slept through the noise.

"Gee, I guess it wasn't the stiff that got their attention," Cyrus thought. By the time they turned a corner, the group met face to face with two soldiers and the Inquisitor.

"Hello my kittens," the Inquisitor said. "Where do you think you're going?"

"We're gonna get out this mother fucka!" Cyrus replied. "And for the record I ain't no kitten. I'm a raptor, bitch! And if you think you can get away with using a whip on a brotha like me, I'll go off on your ass like Deadpool at a clown college before I pimp-smack yo' dumb ass with my right hand of the holy pimped one!" he said as he held said hand over his head, shaking it a little. "Can I get a witness!?"

Fayt, Cliff, and Nel all stood behind Cyrus. Dumbstruck by confusion and the inability to understand what the black teen said, they stared at him in bewilderment.

"_I really think there's something wrong with that kid…"_ Cliff thought.

"What did Cyrus just say?" Nel whispered to Fayt. All the blue-haired teen could do is throw his arms up.

The Inquisitor only guffawed. "I don't think so. Neither you, or that Aquarian wench is leaving here."

"Oh yeah!?" Cliff scoffed. "Try and stop us!"

"With pleasure. And when we get through with you, you and that spy will be all mine." The Inquisitor cackled like a madman, believing his victory to be at hand.

"I don't think so," Nel said. "Your end is near."

"That's right," Fayt said.

"Sorry, but we can't have you escape," the Inquisitor said. "ATTACK!" he yelled.

Cyrus turned his MP3 Player to "Snoop's Upside Ya Head" by Snoop Dogg before entering the battle. The Airyglyph soldiers quickly charged at them with the Inquisitor not far behind. Cyrus and Nel rushed passed the small fodder, fending them off with their swift slashes of their dual weaponry. Their focus was on the ogre-sized torturer. As Fayt and Cliff dealt with the other two foes, Nel jumped up and catapulted herself at the Inquisitor while Cyrus dashed toward the foe with a strong dropkick. The attacks made direct hits, though he only staggered back. The Inquisitor retaliated by lunging his body forward, using his weight to send the dark shizznit back. Nel was able to sidestep and began summoning a spell. Cyrus used himself as a diversion, evading the Inquisitor's lashes. That was until the foe's whip had wrapped around one of Cyrus' swords. Snickering darkly, the Inquisitor began tugging at the teen's blade, while Cyrus himself struggled to keep it in his hand. However, the tug-of-war ended as Nel unleashed her Fire Bolt spell, launching a couple of well aimed flames at the enemy's face. The massive man was knocked back by the spell, pulling his whip hard from the strike. Cyrus was also pulled along with the whip. After the enemy patted the fire off his mask, he saw the black shizznit sailing toward him. Unable to defend himself, he was struck by the teen's free blade, which caused the man to fall to the ground.

After both his feet touched the ground and his other sword was released from the whip's grasp, the black teen noticed the tattoos on his shoulders glowing. _"What the–?" _he thought. He then remembered the inscriptions were the symbological markings his master gave him. _"Oh yeah. The symbology. Alright, let's start my first lesson."_ He smirked and used a backflip to distance himself from the enemy before taking aim with his right arm. "Yo, Nel!" he called.

"What is it?" she responded.

"I need some cover. Imma try something." Nel glanced at him and saw that Cyrus was concentrating on charging a spell as a large ball of energy formed in his hand. The Inquisitor noticed the teen's casting and tried to reach his location. However, Nel intercepted the foe and slashed with her daggers. The torturer turned his attention to the redhead and used his whip. However, Nel's speed gave her the upper hand, helping her evade the lashes and at the same time deal swift blows to the enemy. It wasn't long until she saw Cyrus use Fire Bolt. The incoming flames collided with the Inquisitor's body. However, the attack only managed to weaken him. The foe turned and saw Cyrus charging at him, brandishing his nimchas. The heavy-bodied man raised his whip, but before he could use his weapon, Cyrus had already delivered the finishing blow with his sword. The Inquisitor fell to the ground hard KO'd. Fayt and Cliff had already finished dealing with the soldiers whose groaning bodies were splayed out on the floor. "See, bitch!?" the young teen replied as he returned his sword to its scabbard. "Don't ever mess with a brother whose got swag!"

"More will come any minute," Nel said. She then looked up at the wall and saw a barred passage above. "We'll use that as our means of escape."

"A ventilation shaft?" Fayt asked.

"Um, are you sure?" Cyrus asked.

"Looks kinda tight," Cliff remarked.

"Don't complain," Nel explained. "It widens out as we go. We'll just have to squeeze through the first part."

"Yeah, yeah..."

"Fayt, you go first. I'll bring up the rear," Nel suggested.

"I got this," Cliff said as he climbed up the ladder to the shaft. With his Klausian strength, Cliff pulled out the panel and tossed it to the floor. The group climbed up to the opening and started crawling through the shaft. Fayt was in the lead, followed by Cyrus, Cliff and Nel.

"I always wanted to understand a rat's life," Cyrus quipped. "If only we had collapsible skeletons and an urge for garbage..."

"Hey Cyrus," Fayt began.

"Yo."

"I didn't know you could use symbology?"

"Heh. To tell you the truth, this was my first time."

"Your first!?" Cliff shouted in shock.

"Yeah," Cyrus said. "It sorta surprised me, too." They continued their trek through the hole. Just like Nel thought, it grew wider and larger as they progressed. In a few minutes time, they had finally arrived in a new area in enemy territory.

"Where are we?" Fayt asked. "What is this place?"

"We're in the aqueducts under the city," Nel said. "My people use these to navigate through enemy territory without detection."

"Nice place," Cyrus said as he popped his knuckles and yawned. "It even has its own waterfall"

"Aqueducts, huh?" Cliff began trudging through the frosty ground, trying to keep a firm footing. However, with all the ice, it was nearly impossible. "Hey, how come the ground's frozen solid. I can barely walk on this."

"You're surprised by this?" Nel asked. " You do know that it IS winter in Airyglyph. I would think the snow falling outside would be a dead give away." Nel said.

"Hm, good point," replied the embarrassed Klausian.

"_Man, where's Bill Engvall when you need him…"_ Cyrus thought.

"Careful. You're no good to us if you fall in the water and die from hypothermia," Nel joked.

"Sca-ree," Cliff replied under his breath.

"Heh... Guess the ninja has a sense of humor," Cyrus said to himself with folded arms. "Dark as it is."

"Thank you," Nel said.

"And good hearing…"

"I appreciate the compliment."

"Argh... Can you here me now?" Cyrus said in a lower tone that was nearly a whisper.

"Perfectly."

"Damn that's good," Cyrus replied somewhat impressed.

Nel shook her head with a smirk and folded arms. "Let's get moving," she advised. "This route should be able to get us to the city." Cyrus put his headphones on and listened to "Cold Outside," by Ludacris. The party of four traveled through the underground realm of ice and snow for about a half an hour. In one area, Fayt and the group stopped at a slope slippery slope.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Cliff asked Fayt.

"Nothing. It's just the ground's frozen."

"Really?" Cyrus said. They examined the slippery path.

"Looks treacherous. We'll have to walk carefully," Cliff said.

"Right," Fayt agreed.

"No frozen ground is going to stop us," Cyrus said before he slid down. Unfortunately, due to his speed and lack of control, the young shizznit crashed into an icicle at the end of the slope with a hard crash. The group sighed in embarrassment from the supposed genius' lack of judgement before walking down the frozen paths to help him.

After cautiously trudging through the ice and snow of the aqueducts, the team of four found themselves at the entrance of a large chamber. Upon entering they were welcomed by an unwanted discovery. "What the–!?" Fayt gasped.

"Another big hassle to deal with…" Cliff said.

"I never knew Airyglyph had something like this in its waterways…" Nel said. The creature was a Giant Crab (which ironically, was a giant lobster-like beast) that was ready to kill the intruders of its territory. It roared at the group, the sound bouncing off the cave walls, rattling the room in the process.

"Anyone got a crab hammer?" Cyrus quipped as he grabbed his swords. "Lookin' at this thing is starting to make me hungry."

Cyrus turned set his MP3 player and started listening to "Vitriolic a Stroke" from Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and Lost Ocean. The gang charged at the colossal crustacean, which roared as they approached. Cyrus and Fayt attacked the front of the lobster, slashing at the foe with their blades. However, the enemy swung one of its pincers at the two with surprising speed and power. Fayt was thrown back by the strike while Cyrus was frozen solid. The Giant Crab was about to move in on the teen on ice, but Cliff was able to intercept it. Using his strength and martial arts ability, the shellfish was tossed in the air. Nel inflicted additional damage with her aerial attack, bouncing against its thick hard shell. The monster crashed to the ground hard from the gang attack. It wasn't long until Cyrus thawed out and rejoined the battle. All four party members charged toward the monster, hoping to use a joint attack. However, the creature threw everyone back with a slam from both claws.

"It's shell is too hard!" Fayt said. "We're hardly weakening it."

"There must be a weak spot somewhere…" Nel said.

"For an overgrown lobster, this thing looks like it's at a very advanced stage of evolution," Cyrus replied. "Damn bastard!" he added as he shook a fist in the air. The crab gave another loud roar and began approaching the fallen four, its thoughts filled with malicious intent.

Cyrus couldn't help but feel some concern as the oversized crustacean scuttled closer and closer. Suddenly, time froze. Cyrus looked around, unsure what was happening. "Are you giving up that easily, my student?" a voice asked.

The dark shizznit turned around and saw the form of his master. "Master Diogo?"

"Cyrus, don't you remember your new found strength? You have already invoke half of it. Now it is time to awaken the next element. Use these skills to your advantage," his teacher said.

"But I'm not sure if I could control these powers…" Cyrus said in a worried tone.

"Don't be troubled my student. You are the only one that can. Have faith, my young apprentice. The decision is up to you."

"_Alright,"_ the shizznit thought as the brim of his hat covered his face. _"Since I already used my Fire Bolt, it's time to pull another rabbit out of the hat."_ The image of his master disappeared and everything returned to normal speed. Cyrus got back up on his feet, ready to use a skill that would hopefully end the battle. Fayt also rose up. "You ready, Fayt?" Cyrus asked.

"Let's do it." The crab was in range to unleash it special attack: Burst Cannon. Its claws slowly opened as orbs of power started to expand. With every second, the energy grew stronger and more unstable.

"It's time!" Cyrus said. "I ain't going out cause of some shellfish!" Fayt and Cyrus unleashed their attacks. Fayt used his Blade of Fury. He raised his blade up and a force of light hit the monster. He then lowered the sword where another ray of light had hit the monster. The last assault was dealt as he shot a stream of energy at the monster, weakening it even further. However, the Giant Crab was still ready to unleash its attack. Unfortunately for the foe, Cyrus' move, Shadow Slash, had sealed its fate. A dark aura of intense power concealed his swords and his body. In breakneck speed, Cyrus dashed at the side of the creature, one of his swords piercing through the enemy's shell. As soon as he reached the tail, Cyrus raised his blade. With one last, shrill cry, the colossal creature's legs finally gave way to its massive body. The battle was over and the foe was finished.

"Phew… We managed to pull off a win," Fayt said.

"I'm still surprised such a beast managed to make its lair here," Nel replied.

"Maybe it was the last of an ancient species that were unable to compete with more adapted forms," Cyrus said. "Like Steve-O or Soulja Boy."

"Judging from our traveling distance, we must be close to the exit."

"Finally, some fresh air at last," Cliff said. The team continued to leave the area.

Cyrus turned back to the crimson crustacean's corpse. _"Boy. I'll never look at shellfish the same way again," _he thought to himself before catching up with his comrades.

* * *

Author's Note 1: Sorry for the long update. Aside from school, I've been trying to come up with another chapter. It's an omake that takes place between Ch. 6 and Ch. 7.

Author's Note 2: I'm thinking of changing Cyrus' fighting style a bit more. Aside from the use of dual swords, I'm thinking of giving him abilities similar to Ashton from SO2 (sans the two dragons). What do you guys think? And please don't flame.


End file.
